


Son of a Widow

by DinoDNA



Category: Original Work, exophilia - Fandom, teratophilia - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Exophilia, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Human/Monster Romance, Light Dom/sub, More plot than probably necessary, NSFW, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Assault, Sassy dog, Terato, Teratophilia, These will only be touched on, modern day fantasy, monster fucking, monster love, not talked about in detail
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:41:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27894727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinoDNA/pseuds/DinoDNA
Summary: You've been hiding from a past that you'd rather forget when a nightmare-demon hybrid THING crashes it's way into your life.  He's been badly injured and while you decide to treat his wounds, you can't help wondering if he's going to eat you when he wakes up.  But, as you get to know him, you realize that maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing...The story of two broken creatures, one human, one something else, finding healing and love together.
Relationships: Reader/Monster
Comments: 91
Kudos: 139





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! So I've never posted a non-fandom work before and I'm crazy nervous about it. But, I love myself some monsters and I thought I would give it a go. This will update periodically as I finish chapters, so there is no update schedule at the moment. Keep an eye peeled for all of my nerdy references I somehow managed to slip in!

XXX

“I swear on God, if I could go back in time to punch myself in the nose then I would.” You grumbled to yourself in irritation.

Silence wrapped around you like a heavy blanket and you tapped your finger quickly against the soft wood grain of your desk in an attempt to relieve some of your tension.

“Twain, what’s another word for effulgent?” You asked over your shoulder.

Twain, your Great Pyrenees, ignored you from his position on the floor. He was used to your irritable moods and constant chatter to yourself while you wrote. If he had the higher level brain processing to realize it, he would know that your mood was because your newest novel wasn’t going anywhere fast. As it was, it was just white noise to his large ears and he allowed the sound of your voice to pull him deeper into sleep. You were with him and safe, everything was right in his world.

You huffed in disgust and closed the top of your laptop in one smooth motion. “That’s enough for tonight. Maybe tomorrow “me” will have more inspiration.” You said on a sigh.

Twain didn’t rouse as you walked by him and into the kitchen. This too was normal for you, a cup of warm tea before bed always seemed to settle you down. He recognized the smell of the honey that you used as a sweetener. 

You scratched at the back of your calf with one socked foot and yawned loudly at your microwave. It wasn’t late per se, but it had been a long day and you were starting to feel it. You were a writer by trade, which had sounded like a dream job when you were in high school. The reality of it wasn’t quite as glamorous as you had hoped though. You were coming up on a deadline and you didn’t have much to show for it. Apparently, creativity couldn’t be rushed, who knew?

You mixed your honey into the cup of caffeine free whatever tea you had in the cabinet. You had a tendency to buy anything that sounded good when you went to the store and your cupboard was full to bursting with all different brands and flavors now. You sipped tentatively at the hot liquid and exhaled in relief as the warm vapors tickled your nose. This was arguably the best part of the day. 

You had been roused from sleep that morning by the violent sounds of Twain throwing up on the floor. Thankfully, you’d had the forethought to make sure you had only hardwood in your place. Twain had likely gotten into the pixie repellent again. No matter how hard you tried to hide it and protect it, the damn dog always seemed to find a way into it. The stuff smelled like molded ass so who knew what it was he thought he was going to accomplish with it. 

“Come on, bud.” You said as you paused in the kitchen doorway. Twain knew what that meant, and he lifted his large form from his overly plush dog bed with a large stretch. He padded slowly passed you and towards your bedroom while you smiled at him from behind your mug. He slept with you every night and his warmth was a constant sense of comfort. You were thankful that he still wasn’t very old, and you absolutely refused to think about what would happen when he got too old for this nightly ritual. That was YEARS away though and you shook your head to clear the thought. 

You moved to follow him down the hall when you noticed him stiffen in front of you. You paused and watched as his ears perked up and the fur of his hackles raised. You frowned at that. Twain was a slow and gentle creature. He never made aggressive displays. Something was wrong. 

You froze for a moment, your muscles stiffened and you clutched your mug tightly. You listened. 

In front of you, Twain was backing slowly down the hallway, away from your bedroom. _Fuck… Oh, fuck this._ You thought anxiously. You took a slow step backwards, towards your kitchen. Twain was still in front of you, if it came down to it, he would protect you if necessary. But, from what? _Twain, I swear that if there’s just a fucking cricket underneath my dresser again I’m going to kill you._ This felt different though. Now that you were hyper focused on your surroundings, you could tell the air felt different. It smelled stale, and there was something metallic biting at your nostrils. It was familiar in a way and your stomach lurched as you were suddenly hit with a memory.

_Blood_

You felt fear shoot through your veins and adrenaline course through your body. What in the Hell is going on? You took a moment to assess the situation. Fear and shock were allowing you to compartmentalize your thoughts. It was a good thing too, you were rooted to the spot and had time to think about what you were going to do. 

_Ok, bitch, ok. Think. Free your hands first._ Gently, you placed your cup of tea down on a decorative table you had in your hallway. _Good, now you need a weapon._ You glanced back down towards your bedroom and frowned. The smell of blood was getting thicker and you doubted you had time to make a dash for the kitchen. So maybe on second thought… You picked your cup back up from the table. Smashing it against someone’s head was your best option at this point. 

You should have listened when your father told you to get a gun. As soon as he’d learned that you were moving to the countryside, he had all but put one in your hands. Now, you’re wondering if maybe he had a point. Your bedroom had large french doors that opened onto a deck that had beautiful views of the forest surrounding you. The forest you’re only now realizing probably held all manner of creatures, both friendly and otherwise. 

Beside you, Twain shifted anxiously and you listened as he sniffed the air loudly. He sneezed once and shook his head as if to clear it. You glanced at him and noticed that his posture had eased. The fur was still raised along his back, but his teeth were no longer bared. You furrowed your brow. _What the fuck is happening?!_ You thought furiously.

Just then, a whine drifted down the dark hallway. You tensed again and lowered yourself closer to the ground. There were a few moments of silence, and then another whine. It sounded almost like an animal in pain. You and Twain met one another’s eyes nervously before you clenched your jaw. 

“Come on.” You whispered to the large dog.

He huffed at you, but dutifully began a slow walk back to your bedroom. You followed half a step behind him, cup held tightly in one fist, ready to be wielded as a weapon. Your heart beat so loud that you could hear very little besides the rush of blood in your ears. The closer you got to your room, the stronger the smell became. The smell of the blood was enough to make you gag and you held your breath as discreetly as you could. 

You had reached the frame of your room, the only thing you could see inside was the side of your bed and dresser, bathed in a warm glow from the plug in nightlight to your right. 

“Whoever you are, I’m armed!” You said loudly. It would have been more threatening if your voice hadn’t wavered halfway through. “Show yourself, NOW!”

You raised your cup in case your intruder decided to follow your advice. Instead, another whine issued from around the corner. A breeze stirred through the room and you watched as it brushed Twain’s shaggy hair around his head. The doors were open. Something had come inside.

“I’m serious! I’m armed and willing to defend myself!” You said again, your voice sounded stronger this time.

Nothing but silence greeted you this time. 

You huffed under breath and shook your head. You were going to have to go in there and get this thing out yourself. You only hoped it wasn’t a bear, or a mountain lion… or a Wendigo. _Ok, ok, you got this, you can do this, you’re a bad fucking bitch, you can do this, one, two, three, GO!_

You leapt into the room, swinging your cup around madly. When nothing came from the shadows to attack you, you halted your assault. “Hello?” You asked the room cautiously.

To your left, a weak sound rose from the floor. You glanced down and saw a large shadow spilling out from your french doors. The curtains breezed airily around the figure, so you knew something was there. Though you were having trouble making out details.

You tensed again, ready to swing if the shadow moved. It didn’t. You stood still and waited for something to happen. Beside you, Twain was looking at the shadow curiously, though not aggressively. You listened carefully and noticed there was a sound like a wet wheeze coming unsteadily from the shadow.

Was it… was it hurt?

Cautiously, you inched towards your lightswitch. You needed to be able to make out just what in the hell was happening. And since it didn’t look like whatever this thing was was going to slit your throat in the next few seconds, you wanted a good look at it.

Thankfully, it had been well lit in the dining room where you had been working so your eyes wouldn’t need long to adjust. Your hand trembled as you reached towards the wall and flipped the switch. Immediately, the room was bathed in a harsh white light and you squinted against it.

You stared at where your shadow had been. And where it still seemed to be. Your brain was having a difficult time making sense of just what exactly was laying on your floor. You could make out shapes, and textures, but what the hell was it?

You leaned forward without moving your feet, trying to get a closer view when a voice, weak as a kitten and rough as a boulder, called out to you.

“He...l..p…”

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

XXX

Your eyes widened in shock. It was more than just an animal then, but… what the hell was it? Curious, you took a single hesitant step forward and grimaced when something squished between the toes of your sock. You looked down and surprise all but slapped you across the face. There was a large puddle of blood seeping from the creature on the floor across the room towards you. You held back the gag that threatened to escape you.

Everything seemed to speed up all at once for you. Whatever this was had asked you for help and was currently bleeding to death on your floor. If it was going to try and murder you, this was a fairly elaborate setup. You needed to make a decision, immediately. 

“Fuck!” You snapped at yourself. “I’m going to regret this.”

You moved into action quickly. You would call an ambulance but you needed to try and stabilize it first. You lived far enough out that it would die before anyone was able to get to you.

You rushed over to the side of the creature and tried to locate the source of the bleeding. “If you can hear me, I’m going to touch you now. Can you tell me what happened?” You spoke quickly and with authority. There wasn’t time for caution at the moment.

The creature was silent except for that horrible wet rattle that must have been it’s breathing. Well, at least it WAS breathing. You placed your hands against what you assumed was it’s shoulders. Your hands seemed to pass through a smoky black haze before you touched anything solid. It was strange, you could only barely see the tips of your fingers as they brushed against the muscle of it’s back. There seemed to be a smoke or a type of cloud hanging over the creature’s skin. It made it almost impossible to see where the injury lay on its form.

You grunted in irritation, you were going to have to do this by touch. You worked your way quickly down the creature’s form. Now wasn’t the time for gentleness. Honestly, it was more than likely unconscious at this point anyway and wouldn’t notice if you were being a little rougher than necessary. Time was more important than comfort now though and you didn’t have any more of that to waste.

The muscles under your fingers jumped as you brushed across them and down the creature’s back. The skin was feverish and sweaty and you grimaced as you worked. From here and with the light on you could tell now that it was easily close to seven feet tall, it’s legs disappeared out of the doors to your room and into the darkness beyond. It must have crawled in from the forest. Hadn’t you locked those doors though?

_Oh! There!_

Your fingers slipped over a slick and oily spot below the creature’s ribcage. It was humanoid in shape, though it seemed to be made completely of smoke and shadows, so you figured it was a ribcage. You prodded gently in the area and found a jagged hole about the size of your fist. You swallowed thickly and tried to ignore your nausea at the feeling. 

“What happened to you?” You asked quietly.

There was no answer, though you weren’t expecting one. 

“Twain, watch it!” You shouted at the dog as you stood and all but ran to the bathroom. Your wet socks slid across the floor and you caught the corner of the doorframe in one hand to keep yourself from falling. You needed to stop the bleeding. Or at least try to stem the bleeding until you could call for some help. You snatched as many towels as you could from the linen cabinet before tearing back to your bedroom.

Twain and the creature were in the same spots that you had left them and you let out a shaky breath. Why couldn’t this have been a horrible dream? You rushed to the form on your floor and began wiping away the blood from the wound. You had a horrible feeling that the wound likely went all the way through. You grit your teeth and stuffed a towel as far as you could into the gaping hole in it’s back. You released a breath before leveraging your shoulder against it in order to roll it onto its side. You felt blindly along it’s abdomen before your fingers brushed against another fist sized hole. Just as you’d thought, it did go all the way through. Trying to ignore the very real possibility that this thing wasn’t going to make it you quickly stuffed another towel into this hole as well. 

You lowered it back down and took several deep breaths. It was heavier than you had anticipated and you were starting to crash from your spike of adrenaline earlier. “Ok, ok, that’s all I can do I think. I’m going to call an ambulance for you!” You said from your position crouched next to it.

That got a reaction and you startled as it lurched violently towards you. “N..o, no, ple..ase…” It gripped your knee with a clawed hand and you winced at the pinpricks of pain that caused.

“No? I have to, you’ll die if you don’t get some help!” You all but shouted.

“No, pl..ease. H-h..elp…”

“Fuck! Are you in trouble? Is someone after you?” You asked in a rush. If this thing was being hunted by someone or something, or a wanted felon… fuck! You did not want to be dealing with this! You pinched your brow and leaned closer to its mouth.

“Plea..se, hel..p me…” It said hoarsely. 

You grunted in annoyance before debating with yourself angrily. “I’m going to fucking regret this.” You whispered to yourself. “If you die, then you die. This was your choice and I’m going to respect that for now.” You said a little louder to the creature.

And with that, you got to work. The next few hours passed in a blur of activity. You made multiple trips between your kitchen and bathroom and back to your room. You didn’t want to risk moving the creature but you needed to close the door to the room. There were things in the woods that would be drawn to the smell of this much blood and you didn’t think you could handle any more surprises tonight. 

With a lot of strain and grunting, you were able to swing the creature’s legs fully into the room. The movement had moved it onto its side, which was beneficial since you could now access both sides of its wound. It’s legs looked to bend in a couple directions, like a dog, and you wondered again at just what exactly it was. You closed and locked the doors and pulled the curtains. That may not have helped anything really, but it made you feel a little more comfortable. And even a false sense of security was better than nothing at this point.

You flushed the wound with water and antiseptic and did your best to clean the floors around the creature. New towels were stuffed into place and you wondered in dismay if you would need to stitch the wound together. You had cursory medical knowledge but without knowing the species of this creature you didn’t know where to even begin. You had a few medical supplies in your first aid kit and a number of items from the Healer in the town and you used those as best you could. 

You had been fortunate to remember that you had a blood replenisher stuffed away in a cabinet. You’d been diagnosed with anemia a few years ago and the prescription of replenisher had been given to you in cases of emergency. This certainly qualified.

You poured the liquid down it’s throat and encouraged it to swallow. You were still having a hard time determining features, but based from the shape of its head you could tell that it had a longer muzzle and broader head than a human, more like a wolf’s skull. It also seemed to have two sets of large horns spiraling out of it’s head.

“What are you?” You whispered as you worked the replenisher down its throat. It didn’t respond, but you hadn’t expected it too. From there, you did your best to make it more comfortable. You placed a pillow under it’s head and covered it in a light blanket. You weren’t sure if it was able to get cold but better safe than sorry. After several hours of grueling work, you decided that you had done all that you could. It was clean, disinfected, and sleeping on your favorite pillow. It was up to it now whether it would survive the night. 

Twain was laying casually on your bed and you looked to him in irritation. You were on your knees next to the creature and covered in dried and flaking blood. “Comfy?” You asked the dog with a raised brow. 

He ignored you and continued to look calmly at your new house guest. You rolled your eyes at him and stood unsteadily to your feet. Your body ached painfully and your knees creaked as you stood. “Watch over it, Twain. I need a shower.” You said over your shoulder to the dog as you left the room. Your clothes were ruined, there was no way you were going to salvage them. You stripped them and tossed them on the floor of your bathroom. You were going to need new towels as well. You sighed, problems for another day.

You had done enough for now, now you just needed to turn off your brain and let the blisteringly hot water of your shower beat some comfort into your abused muscles.

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

XXX

Despite the fact that you were utterly and completely exhausted, you doubted that you would be able to sleep that night. It wasn’t a safety thing per se, Twain would alert you if the creature roused during the night. But there were so many questions running roughshod over your brain that you couldn’t seem to settle. 

After your shower you had changed into light pajamas and stared at your “guest” thoughtfully. It’s breathing had evened out and the wound on its abdomen was only bleeding sluggishly now. It might make it after all, whatever it was, it was healing quickly. 

That thought spurred you into action. You needed to figure out what you were dealing with here. You snuck back into the dining room and snatched your laptop from its place at the table. You then settled yourself on your bed, legs crossed and with a clear view of the creature. 

You pursed your lips in thought before pulling up a search engine in your browser. Might as well try the simplest search first. 

**black shadow creature**

You scrolled through the results slowly. The only real suggestions were about shadow figures in regards to haunting as and sleep paralysis. And while this FELT like a nightmare, you knew you were awake. What next?

**black creature with horns**

This was even less helpful. The top suggestion was a chupacabra. _Ugh, not likely._ You thought in Irritation. You chewed thoughtfully on the inside of your cheek and studied the form before you in wonder. 

There was a possibility that you were avoiding… There weren’t many of them and you were likely too far North for them to be able to survive out in the woods for any length of time. But it would explain the horns and the size. Though not the strange fog that covered its body. 

“Hey buddy?” You called over the side of the bed. The creature didn’t react but you continued regardless. “You aren’t a demon are you? Or some sort of demon-shadow-nightmare hybrid?”

It didn’t respond. You hummed thoughtfully to yourself as you continued to browse the internet. Surely, you would turn up something. 

XXX

You tip-toed around your house for the next two days. In all that time, the creature hardly stirred. You started to worry if you needed to try and adjust it so it didn’t get bed sores. But, the thought of it waking while you were in direct contact with it kept you from following through. Who knew if this thing was friendly? It was just as likely that it would attack you the minute it awoke as it was that it would say thank you. You had tried your best to avoid the bedroom, rationalizing it to yourself that you were simply trying to give it as much peaceful rest as possible. The reality was that you were terrified it would rip your whole face off if it awoke and you were hovering over it.

You would peek in occasionally and do your best to keep Twain out of the room but the dog seemed overly interested in the creature on your floor. You wondered what that meant. Twain had always been a good judge of character but he wasn’t giving you any signals, good or bad, about this thing.

After that first sleepless night with nothing happening you relaxed marginally. You found yourself spending a little more time in your room, pondering over the sleeping figure. Did it need water? Food? How long could it sleep without any sustenance? You knew a healing body needed nutrients but it also needed sleep. What was more important? You didn’t know enough about its physiology to start making guesses like that. You ran a rough hand over your face and chewed absently at your lower lip. 

“What are you even doing here?” You asked the sleeping figure on your floor. You had decided to try speaking to the creature softly as you went in and out of your room. Hopefully, that would help warm the creature to you when it woke.

It didn’t respond, but you weren’t expecting it too. In fact, you probably would have had a heart attack if it HAD. You snapped your fingers at Twain to get his attention. You closed the door to the room quietly and Twain trotted lazily behind you as you walked quietly into your kitchen. Dinner that night was simple, your mind was obviously preoccupied with everything that was going on and you didn’t have the attention or the desire to cook anything fancy. 

You slept on the couch that second night with your bedroom door closed and Twain on the floor next to you. You had rigged a small wire and a bell to the bottom of the door frame in case it tried to creep out in the middle of the night and get you. All had remained silent though. You decided to try and change it’s dressing that day. It would be a shame if you went to all that work just for it to get an infection because you were afraid to approach it.

You had been terrified to get close to it, though it hadn’t done anything more than shift slightly in its sleep since it had passed out. Your hands shook slightly as you peeled away the towels that had been stuffed into the wound. They were crusted with blood and you wrinkled your nose in distaste at the feeling. You inspected the wound carefully. Your eyes darted to its face every few seconds, just in case. 

You could tell now that he was male and you politely looked away from his nudity as you continued to work alongside him. You thoroughly cleansed the wound again, soaking it through with antiseptic and allowing it to get some air before you padded it again with a mixture of towels and bandages. You tried not to allow your hands to linger on the creature’s skin. If that was what it was. The feeling of the smoke or fog or whatever it was that floated across him was bizarre though. You hadn’t ever encountered anything like it before. Underneath the smoke you could feel warm muscle and though the skin was a little rougher than a human’s, it wasn’t unpleasant. Though not being able to see your fingertips as they pressed against it was a little worrisome. 

You watched the creature’s face as you gently stroked your fingertips across the skin of it’s chest. There was no indication that he had noticed and so you repeated the motion a few times. No, it was definitely a nice feeling, the body under your hand was solid and warm and you felt the tension in your shoulders relax a little. 

“You’re safe here.” You said quietly. You were surprised to hear your voice but you continued to speak and stroke.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re safe. Don’t kill me in my sleep or anything… But, wake up soon, please. I’m really curious as to who and what you are.”

You ran your knuckles down the back of his arm and tilted your head to the side thoughtfully. Twain nosed at your ear then and you shook yourself back to your senses. You snatched your hand back quickly and stood. “Come on, Twain, let’s get out of here. Let him rest.”

Twain dutifully followed you out the room and you washed your hands in your bathroom absently. What had gotten into you? You shook your head, you needed to get a hold of yourself. Lack of sleep was making you act all loopy.

You had managed to use the last of your antiseptic and you had been both relieved and concerned that the creature didn’t so much as move a muscle as you had peeled away the towels to reveal the gaping hole in its side. You sat at your kitchen table and realized that you were going to need to go to the store soon. 

You didn’t relish the idea of leaving this thing alone with Twain, but you needed food and more medical supplies. You sighed tiredly and began making a list of the items you were going to need immediately. 

By that evening, you were starting to feel much more comfortable around him. You couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing. Twain hadn’t been much help, the large dog continued to follow you around the house as if watching out for you, but he spent an almost equal amount of time trying to curl against the creature’s side. 

You had spent your down time trying to figure out just what this thing was, with no success. No combination of words on your search engine yielded any perfect results. There were a few possibilities put forth but none seemed to match exactly what was laying on your floor. You sat on your bed with your laptop balanced across your lap. You were exhausted, it had been a long few days. You sighed in exasperation. This was getting you nowhere. You leaned your head back against your headboard and looked at the ceiling. 

_What the hell am I going to do with this thing?_

XXX

You were awoken the next morning by Twain’s hot and foul smelling breath over your shoulder. You grimaced and batted at him in annoyance. You snuggled further into your mattress and reached around for your pillow. You must have knocked it off the bed some time in the night. Your searching fingers came up empty and you grumbled. Was 5 more minutes just too much to ask for? You sighed and opened your eyes finally.

It took you a moment to get your bearings but when your eyes finally focused it felt like getting hit by a freight train. A set of pale golden eyes were watching you from the floor of your room. You felt a shock rocket through you and you sat up abruptly. Twain was distrubed by your quick movement and he huffed at you before tucking his nose back against the bed.

And just like that, you remembered the events of the night before. How the fuck had you fallen asleep in here?! This thing could have gotten up and murdered you in the middle of the night! Granted, you had your doubts that he was even going to LIVE through the night but still. You must have been more exhausted than you thought. 

You and the creature regarded one another silently for a few moments. His eyes seemed to possess an unnatural glow and he didn’t seem to have any pupils. The whole of his eyes was a shimmering golden pool. It was beautiful, if a little unnerving.

You cleared your throat awkwardly and ran a hand over your head. “Uh, good morning?” You hadn’t meant it to sound like a question but it had come out that way.

The creature blinked at you slowly before he lifted his head to you in acknowledgement. “Morning.” He said. His voice had lost most of the wet rasp it had held when he’d shown up and it sounded stronger too. Though it did sound like boulders falling, or thunder in the distance. It was a strange sound, difficult to understand, but at least he could talk.

_Now fucking what?_ You thought in dismay. _Hungry? Want coffee? Oh and by the way, what in the literal and actual fuck happened to you?_ You opened your mouth to speak, though you had no idea what was going to come out, but the creature interrupted you.

“Th-thank you.” He said deeply. It didn’t sound like a phrase he was used to speaking.

Well, he COULD speak and he had manners, so that was something. 

“How are you… uh, how do you feel?” You asked lamely. You knew the answer to that but you had no idea what to do right now.

“Unwell.” He responded slowly. 

You nodded in understanding at that. “Honestly, I can’t believe you’re even alive. You were… I don’t even have words for it.” You shook your head at the memory of your blood stained floor.

The creature didn’t respond to that and you cleared your throat again. This was disturbingly awkward. “You’re not going to murder me or anything are you?”

Surprise registered on the creature’s face at the question. It was difficult to tell, but it looked as if a smile was turning the corners of his lips. “I don’t believe so.” He said and that definitely sounded like a chuckle in his voice.

“Okay… well, if you change your mind give me a warning.”

“I will.” He said before laying his head back down on your pillow. Apparently, that was the extent of his energy for now.

You scooted to the opposite side of the bed, ignoring Twain’s large form as he slumbered on. You walked cautiously around your bed frame to stand at the foot of the large creature. His eyes had followed your movements, though he didn’t lift his head from where it lay. 

“I’m uh… I’m (Y/N).” You said with a shrug.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Maiden. My-my name is Senka.” It said with a sleepy smile. 

_Maiden?! The hell is that?_ You felt yourself blush unexpectedly. You started to speak again, but noticed that his eyes had closed. He needed more rest, the fact that he had been able to carry on a conversation at all had been a miracle. You would make yourself some coffee and some food and hopefully when he woke you could get some food into him. He needed water at the very least.

You snapped your fingers at Twain, who grudgingly stood from your bed and trotted in front of you down the hall. Looks like your schedule had just cleared up for the next few days. You really wished that you felt bad about not writing, but a break sounded amazing. You stepped into your bathroom to wash your face, only to remember that you had no clean towels. 

You paused and considered your options. You wouldn’t be able to get the blood from the towels, but you could at least clean them. And instead of ruining more it made sense to just clean the ones you had for now. You doubted your guest would mind if you didn’t keep loading brand new towels on him. You yawned widely and rummaged through the first aid kit that was sitting open on the counter. 

You had exhausted all of your disinfectant the night before and the bandages in the case weren’t nearly large enough to cover the hole in Senka’s abdomen. You needed to go into town and visit the pharmacy. Fuck, this was terrible timing. You didn’t relish the idea of leaving him alone in your home while you made the drive. You didn’t have much choice though. The wound may be healing faster than you expected, but an infection could ruin all of the progress you’d made on it. 

_Fuck. Fucking fuck._ You thought in irritation. There wasn’t anything else for it though. You took a quick shower to make sure that you were marginally presentable and dried off with a clean t-shirt. You would start laundry before you left and flip the load when you’d gotten back.

You dressed quickly and checked back in on Senka. Still sleeping. Alright, that was good. Twain was asleep on the couch in the living room and he stood to follow you as he headed for the door.

“I need you to stay and keep an eye on our guest, bud. I won’t be too long.” You gave him a few quick kisses between his eyes and a scratch behind his ears. “Treats when I get back, promise.” You told him with a smile.

You started some towels in the washer, nabbed your keys from the bowl by your door and hurried out to your car. It was fall and the weather was a little more bitter this morning than you had anticipated. You quickly turned on the engine to the vehicle and turned up the heater. It was a twenty minute drive into town and you hoped that Senka would sleep while you were gone. 

You didn’t love going into town. It was nice seeing some other faces from time to time, but generally you preferred to keep to yourself. Besides, you didn’t like to draw too much attention to yourself. You’d come this far north and lived this far out to keep as much anonymity as you could after all. Thankfully, no one ever paid you much mind and you could slip in and out of stores without too much hassle.

You stopped first at the pharmacy. You nodded politely to the Naga running the register before speaking briefly with an assistant, you were as vague as possible about what the problem was you were having. They suggested a few specialty items that you thankfully didn’t need a prescription for. Unfortunately, you couldn’t get antibiotics without one but you hoped you wouldn’t need them. You still had no idea what Senka was and you didn’t want to poison him accidentally.

You grabbed a number of different types of bandages and disinfectants. You had no idea what you would need in the future and you didn’t want to come back anytime soon. There were a few other odds and ends that you grabbed as well, just in case. You were mindful of how long you’d been gone and tried not to dally too much. 

You exchanged pleasantries with the Naga behind the register as you paid and tried to seem as calm and collected as possible. You didn’t want to raise any suspicions unnecessarily. He didn’t seem to be paying much attention, he looked like a high school kid, and you were grateful for that. 

You quickly dropped your purchases off in your vehicle before crossing the street to the market. There was a larger store across town but you didn’t need much except some groceries. You had forgotten your grocery list at home again, so you made your way quickly down the aisles, grabbing things at random. Who knew what Senka ate, but if he was living in the woods and was that large, he was probably a carnivore. You snagged a few meat options just in case. If nothing else, Twain would appreciate the extra options at dinner time. You paid at the self checkout and hurried back to your vehicle. You’d been gone an hour at this point and still had the drive back to make. 

You were mindful of the speed limit as you headed back home. You hadn’t had any run-ins with the local police department and you wanted to keep it that way. You did your best not to be too anxious on the drive. Who knew what you would find when you got back though? Hopefully, Senka was still asleep. Fuck, anything could have happened though. Whatever was after him could have caught up. He could have woken up and hurt Twain. Maybe he would be miraculously healed and gone by the time you got back? That was likely the best case scenario. You would have questions that would never be answered but you also wouldn’t be murdered in your sleep by some creature you’d never seen before.

You sighed and turned the radio up a little louder in the hopes it would drown out your thoughts. You were starting to panic now that you had time alone to think. What the Hell had you gotten into? You’d been so careful the last few years to fly under the radar and not cause problems. And just like that, a fucking problem had fallen into your lap. You should have called an ambulance when it showed up. This thing wasn’t your responsibility, what had you even been thinking? You knew nothing about him and you were only now beginning to realize the repercussions of keeping him in your home. 

“You and your soft heart, Y/N… This was a dumb ass idea and you’ve had some bad ones before now.” You muttered to yourself.

You continued to berate yourself the rest of the drive. You managed to work yourself up into such a fervor that by the time you pulled into your driveway you all but sprinted into the house. You hadn’t even grabbed your purchases before hauling ass into your bedroom. Twain looked at you lazily from his position on your bed, and Senka was still laying on your floor, his breathing slow and even. You felt relief wash through you at the sight. Everything was fine, or at least nothing had changed since you left.

“Thank fuck.” You muttered under your breath. You pressed a hand to your chest and willed your heart rate to slow down. _Ok, you’re fine. It’s fine, everything is fine._ You exhaled softly and walked back outside to get your items.

XXX

Several hours, two loads of laundry, and a larger than necessary cup of coffee, later found you with your feet tucked up on your mattress and a pair of glasses perched on your nose. Wearing them while you spent hours on the computer had become a necessity, the blue light or whatever it emitted had been giving you headaches for the whole of the last year without them. 

Typically, you’d be curled on your couch but since you had an unpredictable guest, it was probably a better policy to stay near to him. You began to wonder after a time if you should wake him up. Surely, he needed some food and water to try and replace some of what he had lost. Regardless of his species, he had to need something for energy. 

You watched him for a time, before you noticed his eyes began to flicker under his dark lids. Slowly, his eyes opened and you watched curiously as he took in his surroundings and recognition came back to him. His eyes rose upwards and met yours. They were still hazy from sleep and the two of you regarded one another silently

“Water?” You asked him.

“Yes.” 

You snagged the glass on your bedside table and crouched on the floor next to Senka. One clawed hand reached out to take the glass from you. The tips of your fingers brushed gently and you ignored the tingling sensation that followed the gesture.

You tried not to stare, but you watched from the corner of your eye as Senka took several long pulls from the glass before draining it completely. You followed the ripple of his throat as he drank in fascination. The wisps of smoke that floated away from his skin disappeared a few inches away from his body. It gave him the appearance of constant motion, even when laying still.

“You’re staring, Maiden.” He ground out while handing back the empty glass.

You shook your head and smiled shyly. “I apologize, I was just thinking… I um, need to change your dressings.” 

You stood quickly and stepped gingerly around Senka’s massive form. You felt embarrassed for some reason and pressed your hands to your cheeks to hide your blush. You took a few deep breaths in your hallway before snatching the first aid kit from your bathroom. You were glad that you had restocked it and added some additional items. You hadn’t checked the wound since the night before and didn’t know what condition it was in.

“I just need to-” You started to say as you walked back into the bedroom. Upon entering you pulled up short, first aid kit held loosely in your hands. Senka was in a standing position, or close to one anyway. His body was hunched over and he had one hand on your mattress, clutching it tightly enough to create small tears in the bedspread. His shoulders were hunched towards his neck and were broader than you had realized. His hanging arm came down lower than a human’s would and it gave him the appearance of something feral. He had large clawed hands, and elongated feet that he stood on almost like a wolf. He had a set of horns that twisted upwards and towards the ceiling and another set lower that curled around his head like a ram’s. 

There was pain in his golden eyes and you felt your expression soften as you looked at him. “Do what you need to, please.” He growled at you through gritted teeth.

You nodded at him in understanding and moved to his side quickly. “This is going to hurt, but I’ll try to work quickly.” You knelt at his side, which put you an uncomfortable distance from his crotch but you did what you could to remain professional. You were true to your word and worked as quickly as you could. You removed the towels from his wounds, flushed them with water, and disinfected them again. They had closed a considerable amount and you breathed a small sigh of relief that the gauze and large bandages in your first aid kit would suffice for now. You really hadn’t relished the idea of trying to stitch him back together. 

It was over in a few minutes. You could tell that Senka was struggling to remain upright by the end of it, his skin where you were taping down bandages was becoming slick with sweat from strain. 

“Sit, please. You’re going to fall over.” You gently nudged him towards your bed. 

He sat heavily against the side and released a pained breath. You bustled from the room to clean your hands and put away your bandages. You figured he would want a few minutes to collect himself, you doubted he was a creature that enjoyed showing weakness around others. You felt yourself blush as you realized there was a nude male figure on your bed at the moment but you put the thought quickly from your head. While you weren’t against some interspecies romance, now was definitely not the time for thoughts of that nature. 

You splashed some water on your face and smoothed your hair down a little. After another few calming breaths you walked back to your bedroom. “Alright?” You asked as casually as you could.

Senka was still seated on the edge of your bed and was eyeing Twain curiously. Twain wasn’t paying much mind to the stranger, which was a pretty glowing recommendation for Senka’s character. Twain was a good judge of a person’s intentions and it seemed that Senka wasn’t someone to worry too much about. You approached the bed cautiously. He hadn’t answered your question but that was alright. He might still be trying to catch his breath.

Senka obviously hadn’t noticed you enter the room again, that or he was ignoring you. You watched as he slowly lifted one clawed hand from the bedspread and reached for Twain. You felt your heart begin beating faster as the tips of his vicious looking claws made contact with your dogs fur. The two of them were frozen for a moment, both regarding one another silently. Then, slowly, Senka ran his fingers through Twain’s fur. The dog stuck his tongue out happily as Senka continued to stroke him gently. 

You felt yourself smile at the interaction. This seemed important for some reason and you watched it play out before you quietly.

“I haven’t touched an animal like this in many years.” Senka whispered softly.

You hummed thoughtfully in your throat, unsure of what to say to that.

He continued to pet Twain but his head turned towards you and you felt yourself pinned underneath the intensity of his golden stare. Something powerful passed between the two of you and you swallowed nervously.

“I should leave.” Senka said without breaking eye contact.

You blinked in surprise. “Why?” You heard yourself ask. _Why?! You know why! He shouldn’t even be here!_

“I’ve caused you enough distress. I’m not even sure how I can repay your generosity.” Senka touched the wound on his side gently.

“I don’t need repayment.” You said quickly. And you realized that that was true. Regardless of how much panic and concern this had caused you, you wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. _Damn bleeding heart…_

Senka shook his head and his mouth pulled into something resembling a smile. “You’re kind. Kinder than most.”

You thought back briefly to every time someone had ever called you a bitch. There were quite a few. You scoffed at his remark and rolled your eyes. Blowing it off was a defense mechanism, you knew that, but you still didn’t hold it back.

Senka looked at you in confusion but didn’t comment on it. He gave Twain a final affectionate pat, before standing unsteadily on his feet. He staggered for a moment before he pitched to the side unexpectedly. You were lucky that you happened to be on that side of him or he would have crashed to the floor. As it was, you were able to step neatly against his side to support him before he fell completely over.

“You can’t even stand. Where are you going to go?” You asked with a grunt. He was heavier even than he looked.

He took a few deep breaths, his teeth gritted together and you could tell he was in a lot of pain. You encouraged him backwards and he fell heavily against your bed once more. “There’s no need to make hasty decisions.” You said with conviction. In your head, the rational part of your brain was screaming at you. _He agreed to leave! What the fuck are you doing!?_

“You need more rest. I honestly can’t believe you didn’t completely bleed out the other night. Let’s get some more water and some food in you and we can go from there, hm?” _WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!_

Senka looked at you, with pain and confusion in his eyes, before he nodded once. “Yes, Maiden. Thank you.” He said quietly. One clawed hand found its way back into Twain’s fur and you nodded with finality.

You marched yourself from the room and towards your kitchen with purpose. If you were going to do this, you were going to do it 100%. You didn’t believe in half assing anything, and you’d be damned if you didn’t whole ass this. You rolled your eyes at yourself before turning on your heel and walking back to your room. 

“What do you eat?” 

XXX

The meat purchase had been right on the money apparently. You tried not to grimace in distaste as Senka bit savagely into the raw steak. You had offered to cook it but he had looked at you as if you had lost your mind. You had brought in a microwave burrito for yourself but had lost your appetite as you noticed a trail of blood run down his chin. The burrito had been fed to Twain almost immediately after that.

You had tried to fill the silence with some polite small talk but had realized rather quickly that Senka was more of the strong, silent type. You guessed that he was used to spending his time alone and wasn’t used to being around other people. He wasn’t rude, just a little awkward. It was actually pretty adorable if you were being honest. 

“Where-uh, where do you live?” You asked from your position on the chair next to your bed.

Senka had been moved so that he was laying in the middle of your bed, propped up against the headboard. It was more comfortable for him and it made you feel better that he wasn’t lounging on the floor any longer.

Senka tilted his head back and forth a few times as if pondering his answer. “Outside.” He scrunched his nose before taking another savage bite from his meal. 

_Outside… what the hell am I supposed to make of that?_ Maybe he wasn’t ready to divulge that kind of information yet. He’d obviously been attacked when he’d wound up in your room so maybe he was leary of giving out too much information. You didn’t want to push him but you were fucking curious.

You hummed in response, not quite sure what to say to something like that. The two of you sat in silence for a moment before Senka said, “You live very close to the woods.” 

It wasn’t a question, just a statement. “Uh yeah, I don’t like being too close to town.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being attacked? There’s no one close to help, there are worse monsters than me out in the world.” He said plainly.

You were surprised at his candor but didn’t say so. You frowned and looked down at your hands in your lap. “I don’t think I would call you a monster...” You started but stopped trying to defend him when you saw the look on his face. This was an old argument you could tell, and a hurt that you weren’t going to heal now. “You’re right, there are. But a lot of them are human.” 

Senka nodded in understanding as if he understood completely, maybe he did. “And what of your partner?”

You frowned in confusion. Your eyes looked down to your dog. “You mean Twain?”

Senka shook his head and thought for a moment, tapping one long clawed finger against his chin. “Your mate?”

_Oh. Oh!_ You were already shaking your head. You could feel anxiety rocket through you at his question. You thought you had gotten past this part, but it still felt very raw when you weren’t expecting to be asked about it. You clenched your hands into fists in your lap and closed your eyes briefly. Senka would obviously notice your discomfort, but he didn’t comment on it, just waited patiently for your response.

“No mate.” You responded through clenched teeth. 

You met Senka’s eyes steadily, as if daring him to continue to question you, but he didn’t. He gave you a single nod before tucking back into the last of his food. The silence around you now was more awkward than before, but at least you had time to cool your head. 

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dipping our toes into the beginnings of smut on this one.

XXX

Senka’s health steadily improved. The two of you politely ignored the discomfort from your conversation and tried to find some degree of normalcy. It was obvious that Senka wasn’t used to being indoors and you weren’t used to living in close quarters with someone else. He was still too weak to walk anywhere for long and could only stand for short periods of time. 

The conversation about how he was going to relieve himself had been awkward for the both of you but you’d eventually managed a system that worked. He didn’t like needing your assistance for something so personal but there wasn’t much for it. You took as much of his weight as you could and helped him step outside into the crisp fall air. The two of you walked to a fallen tree that lay a short distance from your home and you settled him on it to catch his breath. From there, he took care of himself, somehow. You would politely excuse yourself until he called for you. 

You had had to give him a form of a sponge bath that had embarrassed the both of you. You hoped soon that he would be able to shower himself. You didn’t want to get his dressing too wet though and he couldn’t stand for long stretches of a time without assistance. But, hopefully soon. You weren’t sure how many of those baths you were going to be able to give. You felt like a pervert to admit that the feeling of his large and solid muscles under your fingers had been pleasant. His golden eyes had stared pointedly at the wall over your head whenever you looked at him, but you had a feeling that he stared directly at you when he thought you couldn’t see.

You took meals together. It was nice in a way, almost domestic. You even got used to seeing him eat his raw, and he obviously noticed your discomfort at him tearing into it like an animal so he chewed more thoughtfully and ate more slowly now. It was… pleasant actually. You had forgotten how nice it was to just exist in the same space as someone else, someone you weren’t afraid of. 

Twain had taken to sleeping with his head on one of Senka’s thighs during the day. He still slept with you on the couch at night so you didn’t begrudge Senka the attention. The creature seemed to enjoy running his hands through the dog’s fur and Twain loved the extra attention.

The days were quiet and restful. Senka’s company was peaceful, he exuded a sort of calming presence that you weren’t used to. In fact, you’d even managed to get some inspiration to write during your down time. You had found that Senka was able to read and enjoyed books as much as you did. The two of you would sit in your bedroom and he would page through a novel while you typed away at your keyboard. You did your best to ignore that this was exactly the type of romantic relationship you’d always wanted.

You spoke to one another whenever the two of you needed a break from your individual pursuits. You talked about all manner of subjects, when you had gotten Twain, where in the world that Senka had lived over his life, foods you both liked, etc. You avoided topics that were too personal, your reaction to his question about your mate, whatever his species was even though that was probably your most burning question. You learned a lot about one another in a very short time.

Sometimes, Senka would ask you, with whatever his version of a blush was, to help him sit on your porch. Being inside wasn’t as natural for him, it was obvious he missed being outdoors. So, you would help him step gingerly out onto the small wooden deck and help him get settled against the steps. Once he was comfortable, you would rush inside for warm blankets and two cups of tea. 

You paused during one of these instances, and watched him quietly from behind the glass of your doors. His eyes were closed and his nose was turned up into the air. Bliss seemed to radiate from his features and you felt your heart fumble a little at his expression. You shook your head quickly and nudged the door open with your shoulder. Senka turned to you expectantly, holding his hands out for the mugs. You passed them over and draped the blanket you had brought over his shoulders. He smiled at you warmly and you ducked your head to hide your blush.

At this point, you would typically take your mug and sit a polite distance away from him with your own blanket. You weren’t sure what had gotten into you this morning, but you were feeling bold. Instead of taking the mug that Senka was holding out for you, you sat next him with a thump. He looked at you in surprise as you grabbed an edge of the blanket wrapped around his shoulders and pulled it around your own. You gave him a sheepish half smile as you took your tea and wrapped your hands around it.

Senka said nothing. He looked at you in question for a minute before settling down and turning his attention back to the woods behind your house. It may have been your imagination, but you could have sworn that one of his large and smoky shoulders pressed tighter to your side. You hid a smile against the lip of your cup and sipped at the warm liquid. From then on, the two of you started all your mornings like this. Pressed against one another, sharing a blanket, and sipping tea while politely ignoring the heat between you.

After a couple of weeks, Senka decided that he was well enough to start taking small walks around your property. You weren’t so sure, but trusted that he knew his body well enough to make that kind of call. And while you had gotten used to his nudity to a point, if the two of you were going to be traipsing around outside for extended periods, then you were going to have to insist he wear pants. 

“These will be comfy, I promise.” You said in a placating tone.

Senka was looking at the pair of grey sweatpants you were holding up in distrust. You didn’t have much that would fit him, but it was hard to go wrong with sweatpants. Plus, if he wasn’t comfortable with clothes, they would be the easiest option to get on and off.

Senka had his arms crossed over his chest, looking for all the world like a toddler throwing a tantrum. “I will do this to make you comfortable, Maiden. But, I don’t like it.” He said in irritation.

You rolled your eyes. “I’ll make a note of your sacrifice.” 

Senka huffed at your sarcasm but held his hands out for the pants. He rubbed the fabric between his hands, feeling at the texture. He looked pleasantly surprised that they were soft and you avoided rolling your eyes again. Honestly, he was impossible.

You explained how to put them on and turned your back when he rose to pull them up his legs.

“Why did you turn around?” He asked in confusion.

“It’s polite to let you change without me watching you.” You explained. You listened carefully to make sure he didn’t topple over without your hands on him to steady him.

“I’ve been naked for weeks, Maiden.”

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. How do you explain human customs to non-human entities? “It’s a social convention, Senka.”

Senka huffed a quiet laugh behind you. “Whatever you say, Maiden. I am clothed.”

You turned around to check how he had done. Your mouth dried a little at the sight of the giant creature wearing the pants hung low on his hips. You swallowed nervously and Senka gave you a bemused half smile. He let you look your fill before getting your attention. “I shall wear these as often as you like.” He said with a smirk.

Your face flared red immediately and you rushed out of the room and towards your bathroom. The sound of Senka’s deep chuckle rumbled after you and you resisted the urge to shout at him. 

XXX

Once you had calmed down, and Senka managed to get the smirk off of his face, you showed him around your home. He had been here for weeks but had yet to see anything aside from the bedroom and porch. He was grateful for the ability to move around and only needed your assistance to sit down after he’d worn himself out. He wasn’t able to go very far, but it was a lot of progress considering the wound in his side still hadn’t healed completely.

Once he was familiar with the layout of the house, he decided to take a break on the couch in the living room. “Is this where you sleep?” He asked curiously.

You were preparing lunch for the two of you in the kitchen and gave him an affirmative.

You glanced up and noticed him sniffing delicately at the pillow you slept on each night. You blushed crimson but didn’t say anything. The longer you were around him, the more you realized that you were attracted to him. You hadn’t ever been in any kind of serious relationship with a non-human before, except for that minotaur in college you’d had a brief fling with… Though you weren’t opposed to it, and you knew based upon seeing Senka’s nude body for weeks that your parts would fit together fine. You peeked at him from the corner of your eye. He was surveying the room curiously and you shook your head at yourself. _This isn’t appropriate. He’s hurt and needs your help, not your lust. Knock it the fuck off._ You thought to yourself bitterly.

Lunch was a little stilted. Senka could tell that you were upset, and despite how many times he asked what was wrong, you continued to tell him you were fine. You weren’t ready to discuss this with him yet. You would feel burned if he rejected your advances, and even worse if he reciprocated but only because of some weird reverse Florence Nightingale effect. No, you were being inappropriate, you needed to get your head on right.

You apologized after you’d eaten and told him you had a lot on your mind. You offered to go on a short walk with him to make it up to him. Though he didn’t look like he wanted to let it go, he didn’t push you for more information about what was on your mind. Instead, he agreed readily to a walk. You smiled at him happily and collected your lunch dishes to put in the sink.

The two of you, with Twain leading the way, stepped outside into the cool air. The sun was high in the sky and it’s warmth felt relaxing on your skin. You turned your face towards it and closed your eyes. You inhaled the scent of the open air around you and smiled brightly. When you opened your eyes, Senka was looking at you with a stunned expression on his face.

“What?” You asked him with a laugh. “Something on my face?” 

He shook his head and returned your smile. “Nothing that shouldn’t be. Joy looks good on you.”

You laughed again and looped your arm through his at the elbow. You were feeling playful and gave him a mischievous grin. “Come on, monster. Let’s stretch our legs.” Maybe you couldn’t heal his hurt from considering himself a monster, but maybe you could make it a more positive word.

Senka gave you a smirk and rolled his eyes, but he dutifully bent his arm and tucked your hand more firmly against the crook of his arm. He escorted you down a trail that Twain had beaten into the ground during his morning walks. You went slowly and had to stop a couple of times for Senka to catch his breath, but it was enjoyable and you were rosy cheeked and smiling at the end. Senka also looked lighter and though he was exhausted, his steps seemed to hold more bounce to them than before. 

After he had rested from your walk he decided that he was going to try and clean himself using your shower. You patiently explained how to use it, what he should use to clean himself and where the towels were when he was done. They were clean, but still stained with blood, there wasn’t anything for it, since you hadn’t gone back to the store yet. 

Senka nodded dutifully to all of your explanations and assured you that he would manage just fine. You kneeled in front of him and helped him peel away his bandages and inspected his wound before you left. It was healing well, there was no longer a hole in his abdomen. The tissue that had filled in and the wound was puckered and pink, which was a stark contrast to the smoky black of the rest of his body, but it was easier to look at then a gaping, bloody hole. 

You looked up from your position on the floor and met his eyes with a smile. The expression on his face was heated and there was fire behind his golden eyes. You felt warmth pool in your stomach and realized belatedly that your eyes were currently level with his crotch. You were so fucking stupid, how did you not think about this before?!

You rocketed upwards and heard your knees pop in protest. “I-uh, I’m… I’ll just leave you to it!” You turned on the vent in the bathroom and all but sprinted from the room. You stayed within hearing distance, just in case. But, you were embarrassed and stood with your hands braced against your kitchen counter and your head hung low. The sound of the shower starting caused your cheeks to redden further. 

Senka was currently naked in your bathroom. And yes, you’d been around his nude body frequently enough, but this felt different. He was on the mend now, could stand and walk on his own, you would even say that the two of you were friends. And the thought of his large body wet and wedged into your shower… You shivered and shook your head. You needed to get a fucking grip on yourself.

Your hands shook slightly as you reached into a cabinet for a glass. You needed to drink some water and relax. You leaned a hip against the counter and sipped delicately at the glass while you urged your heart rate to slow down. 

From the wall opposite you, you heard a loud thump, and then silence. The bathroom was on the other side of the wall from the kitchen and you set your glass down quickly. You listened for any further disturbance. There was silence and you crept cautiously towards the bathroom door. _If that fucking asshole slipped and broke his neck I’m going to kill him._ You thought anxiously. The door to the bathroom was cracked open and you pressed an ear to the opening. You were about to call out to Senka when a sound caught your ears.

You frowned and closed your eyes, trying to focus on what you were hearing. There it was again, it was deep and low, almost choked off… A moan drifted out from behind the shower curtain and your eyes snapped open in shock.

_Oh, fuck!_ You thought in shock.

In the bathroom, the phrase was repeated quietly in a voice that sounded like thunder. “Oh, fuck…”

You practically flew down the hall and to the opposite end of the house. Your heart was racing and you closed the door to your spare room behind you. You held a hand over your chest and breathed in and out frantically. “I can’t believe that just fucking happened, holy shit, holy shit.” You were talking to yourself and your entire body was trembling. Had Senka really been… maybe he was just enjoying the shower…? You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to convince yourself those were happy-moans from being in a shower for the first time in weeks and not I’m touching myself pleasure-moans. It didn’t work, you knew they sounded different and you knew that Senka was definitely in your shower, likely with his stiff member held firmly in one of his clawed hands.

You slumped against your floor weakly and rested your head against your knees. You felt like you were on fire, and you shuddered as the heat of want coursed through you. Fuck, you wanted to climb that monster like a tree and ride him until you couldn’t walk anymore. 

You wrapped your hands around the back of your neck and groaned in frustration. You were in so much trouble. You sat like that and berated yourself for another ten minutes before you finally plucked up the courage to leave and go back out into the living room. Twain was laying outside the bathroom door and flicked an ear in your direction when you exited the bedroom. 

“Pervert.” You hissed at him. He ignored you and you pursed your lips in irritation. 

Senka stepped delicately from the bathroom then and you felt your eyes widen in surprise. _This is fucking it, this is it for me. God really just said fuck it, give this bitch a heart attack._ He had removed the sweats, which you needed to wash now that you thought about it, and was wearing nothing but a blood-stained towel draped low over his narrow hips. He was dripping with water and you knew that your jaw had dropped open and you were staring at him openly. 

“Maiden…” He said roughly to get your attention.

Your neck snapped upwards and you met his eyes fearfully. “Huh?” You asked dumbly.

“I need you.” 

Your heart stuttered again. You blinked at him rapidly. There was no way this was happening, no fucking way. You were hallucinating, dreaming, having some sort of lust induced fantasy. There was no way this statuesque nightmare god was saying what you thought he was saying. You looked at him blankly and he frowned at you. 

“Y/N… what’s wrong?” He asked in concern. You shuddered again. He very rarely called you by your name and the sound of it on his tongue was positively sinful.

He took a step towards you and you bit your lip anxiously. Were you ready for this? You’d wanted him and he had seemed interested in you, but were you reading the signs right. Was he physically up to it? Were you? In theory your parts would work together, but in practice… Maybe he had an ovipositor or something? You had no idea what the logistics of sex with him would look like. Did he want a fling? Something long term? You needed to talk before you jumped into this but you really, really wanted to just jump…

“Maiden, I need you to help me with the shower, please.” Senka’s voice broke into your racing thoughts.

You looked at him stupidly for a moment before your brain registered what he was saying. “The uh, the shower?” You asked around a dry throat.

He frowned at you again. “Yes, the shower. I think I’ve knocked something loose, the water is coming from the bottom spout instead of the top one.” 

“O-oh, oh okay, yeah, uh, not a problem. Okay.” You were mumbling but this whole day had been a fucking rollercoaster and you needed to lay down and relax before you gave yourself a stroke. 

In a daze, you walked into the bathroom with Senka on your heels and explained the tab on top of the faucet and how it changed the flow of the water. Numbly, you exited the room once he’d indicated understanding, and face-planted on your couch. You weren’t used to this much excitement. The adrenaline was leaving your body now and you felt completely wiped out. You could manage a short nap, that actually sounded amazing. 

Twain was laying on the floor next to you and you ran your fingers through his fur. The motion soothed you and you felt the tension in your body relax, your racing heart slowed and your thoughts grew fuzzier around the edges. 

XXX

The smell of something burning woke you from your doze. You looked around blearily and your eyes landed on Senka’s guilty face. You knew you looked groggy and confused, one eye was only partially open and your hair was likely a mess. Senka smiled at you sheepishly from the kitchen and showed you the blackened contents of a large pan.

“Was ‘sat?” You slurred.

“Dinner?” The creature said and then cleared his throat.

You rubbed a knuckle against your eyes and shook your head to focus. The two of you looked at one another from across the room and giggled. You stood from the couch and stretched with your arms over your head. Senka watched the movement with interest and a smile on his face but didn’t comment.

You ignored the smoke that was making your eyes water and opened a few of the windows to try and air it out. “Dinner, hm?” You asked as you looked into the pan curiously. The charred bricks in the bottom weren’t even distinguishable as food anymore and you took a stab at what it was. “Chicken looks good.” You said to him with a few nods.

“Eggs…” Senka said with a grimace.

You held a laugh behind your teeth. “Eggs look good!” You corrected without missing a beat.

Senka laughed and the sound filled the kitchen with a warmth that you weren’t used to. You smiled at him and he placed a quick kiss on the top of your head. You blushed at that but he had already turned around to place the pan in the sink. The kiss had seemed so natural that neither of you really even paid much attention to it in the moment. It was the next logical step in your relationship with one another and it honestly felt like you’d been doing it for years. 

It wasn’t until you were going to sleep that night that you really thought over it. You touched gently at the spot where his strange lips had pressed against you and you smiled secretly to yourself. 

XXX 

Sleep was a long time coming that night. There had been so much excitement during the day that you had too much to think about. Plus you’d just had that nap… You rolled over on your couch and stared at the cushions. The image of Senka, wet and steamy, from the shower seemed to be seared behind your eyelids. Everytime you tried to allow yourself to relax and drift off to sleep, the feeling of his lips on your head and the image of him wearing only a towel would give you a mental slap across the face.

You groaned quietly in frustration and turned to lay on your back. How long had it been since you’d been intimate with anyone? His moans from earlier had stirred something low in your gut and you held a hand low over your pelvis. You hadn’t been able to get it out of your head. What did he look like when aroused? How did he touch himself? 

Without thinking too much about it, you let a hand slip below the line of your pajamas. You were going to regret this, Senka was an injured friend and you should not be touching yourself to thoughts of him. But, the fire in your body was urging your brain to ignore your doubts and like an asshole, you let it. 

You ran a hand lightly over your underwear, teasing yourself slowly. The promise of what was to come caused a shiver to run through your body. You closed your eyes and focused on the sensation. You stroked a slow line over your lips and your mound and sighed happily. You slipped your other hand down alongside the first and gripped your inner thighs tightly. You kneaded the flesh there a few times, pretending that someone else was doing this for you. A slow fire was kindling near your tailbone and you felt your eyelashes flutter against your cheeks at the feeling.

Your brain decided that if you were going to sin, then you may as well be all in on this one. You thought back to the sound of Senka touching himself in the shower. That moan had sounded like a rockslide and you bucked your hips against empty air suddenly. Fuck, you wanted him so badly. You allowed your imagination to conjure a picture of him in your shower. You knew what he looked like naked, so you knew that was fairly accurate. But fuck, that thick cock of his hadn’t been hard in your presence before. He was large to begin with, once it was flushed with blood and heat… You bucked up again and shivered. 

You pictured one of his large clawed hands wrapped firmly against the smoky midnight of his dick. Would his strokes be slow to begin with? Would he tease the head a little first? You finally allowed one of your hands to slip below the line of your underwear to touch your bare skin. Maybe he liked having his ass played with, or his sack licked? You moaned a little at the thought. God, you would destroy him if given the chance. 

You touched yourself lightly, enjoying the tease of your own fingers. Your mind went rapid-cycle through all the things you’d like to do to him in bed before returning to the image of him in the shower. In your imagination he wasn’t worried about the size of his claws getting in the way. He had a practiced hand and knew how to pleasure himself. You pictured that dark hand working quickly over his shaft. He would want to work quickly, just in case he was interrupted. You had been just on the other side of the wall afterall. 

You dipped a quick finger into your channel to gather some of the moisture gathered there. You pressed more firmly against your clit and rolled your hips against your now slick fingers. You moaned, a little louder than you probably should have, but you were so focused on your task that you hardly noticed. “Fuck…” You whispered brokenly. You pictured Senka hanging his head and watching himself work his orgasm from his body. He would have a hand braced against the wall of the shower as he neared his climax. Thoughts of your naked body would be on his mind and he would choke out your name as he came hard against his fist. He would have painted your shower walls with the large white stripes of his release.

You bucked feverishly against your hand and felt the fire in your spine ignite. “Oh, fuck, yes, yes, yes!” You whispered frantically as your orgasm rocketed through you. You worked yourself through it lazily, picturing Senka’s large golden eyes watching you the whole time. You allowed yourself to collapse bonelessly against your couch and try to catch your breath. _Fuck, that was good!_

That had been just what you’d needed. It was no real substitute for the real thing but the tension in your body had eased significantly. You hummed happily to yourself and pulled your blanket up closer to your chin. 

Down the hall, a door closed softly without your noticing.

_Alright, Y/N, sleep now... You’re going to need it for tomorrow._ You rolled over onto your side and almost immediately felt sleep creep over you. Your last thought before sleep was that you wondered just what Senka’s skin tasted like. 

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

XXX

“Senka?” You knocked softly against your bedroom door. He must have closed it sometime in the night, normally it was left open. 

A muffled acknowledgement came from the other side and you opened the door cautiously. Senka was propped up against your headboard and yawning loudly. His hair was in disarray and he blinked at you sleepily. “Good morning, Maiden.” He greeted you with a shy smile. 

“Hey, sleepy head. How you feelin’ today?”

Senka pondered the questions for a moment before smiling at you, his large teeth visible and gleaming in the early morning light. “Hungry!”

You chuckled and rolled your eyes at him good naturedly. “I’ll see what I can manage. Hey, I’ve gotta go into town today for some supplies. Would you want to come?”

Senka looked surprised at the question. You could tell he wasn’t particularly keen on the idea so you didn’t press him. You didn’t really love the idea of going into town either. “I’ll start coffee, just think about it.” You left him to get around for the day and made your way to the kitchen. To your right, the sky outside the kitchen window hadn’t brightened at all. It was going to be a cloudy day apparently. 

You could hear Senka enter the bathroom some time later. You sipped at your coffee and tossed a snack to Twain. The dog wagged his tail at you happily and you scratched him behind his ears with a half smile. “What about you, handsome? Wanna go into town?” Twain didn’t answer but you figured you’d let him tag along today. He liked to get out and sniff around the town and you liked having him with you, just in case.

Senka eventually made his way into the kitchen, just as you were finishing up breakfast. Bacon for him, biscuits and gravy for you. The two of you ate comfortably at the dining room table. It hadn’t gotten much use other than as a writing desk for you since you’d moved. Speaking of…

“Sen, if you’re feeling better, I may need to start writing again soon.” You said around a mouthful.

From his seat across from you, you watched him blush. “Sen?” He asked shyly.

You swallowed the food in your mouth and gave him a curious look. “Is that ok? Sorry, I’m kind of a nickname person.” 

He nodded but didn’t make eye contact with you. “Yes, yes, that’s fine.” He cleared his throat and took another bite from his food. “Writing?” He prompted.

You nodded and chewed on your lip thoughtfully. “Yeah, my editor hasn’t called me yet, but it won’t be long now. I’m a week behind on my last deadline and she knows that I can drag my feet a bit. Buuuuut…. This is pushing it, even for me.”

“I see. Maiden, If I’m in your way, I will leave.” Senka said somberly.

You almost choked on your coffee at the statement. Why on Earth did that thought fill you with fear? “No, no, no! I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I meant! I just need to focus on my work for a little bit. We can still have meals together and go on walks and stuff.”

Senka watched you closely for a moment before nodding. “As you say, Maiden. I don’t wish to outstay my welcome.”

“You’re always welcome!” You said quickly. You left your mouth hanging open at the statement. _Holy shit, did I really just say that? Do I really mean that?_ Okay, so all of this was really sudden and unexpected and not something you thought you’d ever want, but… you couldn’t deny how nice it had been to have Senka here with you. You realized suddenly that you did mean it, wholeheartedly. You ducked your head in embarrassment and ran a hand over your hair. “You’re always welcome.” You repeated, though quieter this time.

Senka seemed stunned at this announcement and the two of you finished eating in silence, unsure of where to go from there. Senka cleaned up the plates after you’d eaten and you slipped into your room to get dressed to go out.

You peeked around the curtains to your patio and frowned. The sky looked a little more threatening now than it had an hour ago. You hadn’t noticed rain on the forecast earlier…

When you stepped into the living room, Senka was standing near one of your windows with his back to you. He was eyeing the sky, just as you’d done a minute before. “I’m gonna head out, did you wanna go?” You asked him.

Senka leaned closer to the window, tension drawn in the lines of his body. “I don’t think you should leave today, Maiden.” 

You frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

He turned towards you with a dark look on his face. “It’s going to storm, you should stay.”

You shrugged at him and waved off his concern. “It’s storm season, there are going to be a lot of them here pretty soon. You stepped up and looked out the window beside him. “I won’t be long. Besides, we’re almost out of food and I need new towels. And probably some new pants for you.” 

He huffed at you in annoyance. “You’re being stubborn.” 

You laughed lightly at that. “I’m always stubborn, monster. Which is a good thing or you likely wouldn’t be among the living right now.”

“Fair point.” He muttered. “I still don’t like it, I think it’s unwise.”

“I’ll be sure to log your complaint and send it to management.” You replied dryly. He apparently had no intention of going with you. “Any requests?”

“Be safe.” Was the only thing he said before turning back to the window. You had meant for groceries but you felt heat burn through your cheeks at his comment. Fuck, you had it bad for this guy.

Twain followed you out to the vehicle and hopped happily into the passenger side. He loved car rides and you gave him an affectionate pat on the head. “Come on, big guy. Let’s go spend some money!”

The ride to town was uneventful. Though you did keep an eye on the ever darkening sky. That had you a little concerned. It WAS storm season, and it was likely to rain bucketfuls in the next month but… this looked like more than a little rain. Twain followed you into the general store at the far end of town. You could grab everything you needed here thankfully. And since Twain was so mild mannered and well-behaved, no one hassled you about him following you around. He was technically a support animal but no one had ever asked for his credentials.

You took your time wandering around the store. You grabbed some new towels, large fluffy grey ones that felt amazing on your skin, a lot more meat for Twain and Senka, and some other groceries to complete your meals. It was early enough that not many people were out and about and you were thankful for that. You gave polite greetings to the employees as they stocked shelves but other than that, it was quiet. It was about halfway through your shopping that the sound of rain hitting the roof above your head startled you. You looked up in surprise and then down at Twain. The dogs ears were perked up and his tail was at attention. _Hmm, maybe better hurry up._ You thought to yourself.

You picked up your pace and selected the items you needed with a little more urgency than before. You didn’t like driving in the rain. A large boom of thunder sounded overhead as you were paying in the self checkout. Your lips tightened into a thin line as you hurried to bag your items. Beside you, Twain was looking a little more nervous. He was a good boy, but he got a little nervous in storms. You just hadn’t expected this one to hit so soon or you would have left him at home.

You rushed to your vehicle, arms loaded with purchases. Twain kept pace beside you and hopped eagerly into the trunk as soon as you’d opened it. He made his way up and back into the passenger seat, making sure to shake out his fur over as much of your old jeep as he could. You sighed in irritation but loaded your groceries and started the vehicle as quickly as you could. 

“Sorry, bud. This one’s on me.” You scratched his ear in sympathy and he leaned into the pressure. At least he wasn’t mad at you. You moved the jeep into reverse just as a flash of lightning lit up your field of vision. Seconds later, thunder rattled the windows of the vehicle. Shit, it was right on top of you. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here, hm?” You asked aloud as you pulled carefully from your parking space.

The rain pelted down harder and faster the longer you were on the road. Your visibility was narrowing quickly and you were starting to get a little nervous. Lightning lit the road in front of you and you heard the distinctive crack of a tree being struck. You leaned forward in your seat, eyes scanning the road frantically. Behind you, a trunk landed with a loud thunk onto the road. _Fuck, fuck, fuck…_ You were thinking to yourself. Beside you, Twain was letting out a god awful high-pitched cry. 

“I know, baby, I know. Momma’s sorry, I’m so sorry, buddy. We’re almost home.” You just hoped you’d make it there in one piece.

You wanted to just tear ass the rest of the way down the road, but you could barely make out the lines in front of you and you were having to move slowly. The near constant flash of lightning and the sound of thunder was driving your nerves over the edge. You needed to get home, now!

Just as you were thinking you would need to pull over the vehicle and try to wait it out, the lights of your home came into view. Relief washed over you at the welcome sight. And on the front porch, anxiously stepping from foot to foot, was Senka. As soon as he saw the lights from your jeep he was off the porch and in a strange hobbling run towards you. You pulled up next to him and you knew that you’d splattered mud on him but he seemed unconcerned. 

“Get Twain inside!” You shouted at him over the sounds of the storm. Dutifully, Senka opened the passenger door and gripped the dog firmly in his arms before walking him hurriedly back to the house. Despite the fact that you wanted to get inside, you marveled at the fact that he could so easily lift and carry a dog of Twain’s size. You shook your head to clear it and quickly grabbed the groceries from the trunk. 

You hustled in just as Senka was rushing back out towards you. You quickly dropped the grocery bags in the kitchen before grabbing a towel from by the door and running it over Twain’s fur. He was shaking slightly and you cooed nonsense to him to try and calm him down. It didn’t take long, the familiar smells of his home settled his nerves quickly and he promptly curled into a ball on one end of the couch. 

You wiped at the water dripping into your eyes and let out a loud sigh. You turned to look at Senka, who was standing in the entranceway of your house and giving you an odd expression. You glanced down and grimaced at the mud on his pants. Guess it was a good thing you’d bought a couple of spares today. 

“Are you alright, Maiden?” Senka asked you gravely.

You threw up a hand in a noncommittal gesture. “Yeah, I’m fine. That shit came out of nowhere. Damn tree about took us out on the way back up here.”

He looked at you levelly and you could tell that he wasn’t very happy with you. “You’re a stubborn creature, Y/N. I told you it would storm.” 

“Oh shut the hell up!” You huffed at him in anger and stomped to your bedroom to change. 

After you had dried and changed into something loose and comfortable you exited your room to find Senka removing items from the grocery bags and placing them on the kitchen counter. Silently, you grabbed the remaining items from the bags and placed them on the counter next to everything else. Senka had been trying to help but it was apparent that he didn’t know where anything went.

You grabbed the new towels and Senka’s new pants and tossed them into the washing machine. You placed the perishables into the fridge and stored the dry items in the cabinets. Senka watched you silently, he could tell you were irritated and he was likely irritated too. The two of you were giving one another the silent treatment and it made for a tense atmosphere. 

Finally, you turned, finger in the air to give him a peace of your mind. As you opened your mouth to speak however, the sound of a transformer exploding ricocheted around the room. The two of you looked around in surprise before all of the lights in the house went out. 

You groaned in frustration and looked upwards in dismay. Just what you fucking needed!

“What’s happened, Maiden?” Senka asked in concern.

“The fucking power’s out. Storm blew out a transformer. I’ve got a generator in the garage but it’s not big enough to power much. We’ll need to use it for the fridge so the meat doesn’t spoil.” You yawned tiredly and felt exhaustion settle in your bones. It was still only early afternoon, but it felt like the middle of the night. 

“There are some candles in the linen closet and matches in the drawer in the kitchen closest to the fridge. I’ll be back in a bit.”

The generator took some more work than you had anticipated. You hadn’t used it in a while and it took a little more patience to get going than you were willing to give. You managed to get it up and running and connect it to your fridge after fifteen minutes of swearing. That was at least something, though since the heater would be out it would likely get cold tonight. 

In the living room, Senka had set up the candles along the coffee table and kitchen counter. It cast the room in a warm and soft glow. Senka’s large and dark form bled into the background and was hard to discern other than a patch of darker shadow amongst all the others. You sat next to him on the couch and eased back until your neck was cradled by the cushions behind you.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you.” You said quietly.

“I’m sorry for being a know-it-all. I was worried for your safety.” Senka replied in kind.

You gave him a lop-sided smile. “Thank you, Sen.”

He nodded to you slightly and the two of you settled down into the couch to wait out the storm. Beside you, Twain snored loudly.

XXX

The candles had burned down a ways before either of you spoke again. You were feeling sleepy and were dozing next to Twain and Senka on the couch. The heat from both of them filled you with a sense of calm and peacefulness and without meaning to, you snuggled marginally against Senka’s side.

The large creature gave you a faint smile before clearing his throat. He met your tired gaze thoughtfully. “Maiden,” he began, “I’ve been thinking about how to repay you for everything you’ve done for me.” He folded his clawed hands neatly in his lap and looked to you expectantly.

“Uh… ‘kay. And what’s that?” You knew you didn’t have the most attractive expression on your face but didn’t care at the moment. It was an awkward position to be having a conversation, but you were comfortable and he didn’t seem interested in moving.

Senka tilted his head to the side as if studying you minutely. Without warning, he reached a single hand to his face, made a sweeping motion over one of his golden eyes, and presented the item to you as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The space where his eye had been was simply part of the black mass of his face now, indistinguishable from the rest. You looked at his outstretched hand in revulsion. In the center of his palm sat a golden marble. Well, at least it didn’t look like a fucking eyeball!

“Senka, what the fuck?!” You all but shouted as you stood from the couch quickly.

Senka looked at you in confusion and then down at his hand. He was apparently surprised by your reaction. “This is my repayment. I’m sorry- Is, is it not enough? I don’t have much more to give…” He said the last shyly.

You were completely flummoxed. How did you explain to someone that a whole ass eyeball was not a proper payment for ANYTHING? Then again, who knew what Senka was, maybe that was how his culture worked? You ran a hand through your hair and shook your head to try and settle down.

“No, I’m sorry. That isn’t what I meant…How did you even-” You sat back down on the couch, your knees knocked against his and you let them stay there. “I just- Senka, why would you give me your eye? You need that!”

Senka gave a half shrug at your statement. “A large service demands a large reward. This is all I have to offer. Please… please accept the gift.” The warm light of the candles cast his face in soft relief. You watched as the light caressed his strange features and you felt your heart stutter in your chest.

He was beautiful in an absolutely alien way. The shape of his face was so odd, his body so bizarre, everything about him was so foreign to your eyes. But, you were coming to know the shape of his heart. And that was more important than anything. 

“Senka, I don’t… I-I can’t…” He gave you an imploring look, which was pretty pathetic since he now only had the one eye to use. The sight of it choked you up and you felt your throat tighten at the sight. “Ok, ok... I mean, thank you. I accept.”

Senka visibly brightened at that and extended his hand towards you again. You held your own out and tried not to flinch when he dropped the golden marble into your palm. You were disturbed to note that it was warm to the touch. You suppressed a gag as you turned it over in your fingers.

“Keep that with you always. It’s important.” Senka said gravely.

You gave him a few short nods as you continued to look at the marble. It was beautiful if you could ignore the fact that it was inside someone’s skull not a minute ago. It was a rich golden color, warmer and softer tones woven throughout. The thing seemed to possess a glow of it’s own and pulsed gently against your skin. You placed it in the pocket of your sweats and refrained from wiping your hand against the bottom of your shirt to clean it. It hadn’t been wet or grimy, but you couldn’t shake the knowledge that though it looked like an ordinary marble, it was, in fact, an eyeball from a nightmare shadow creature.

“Thank you, Senka.” You said with as much sincerity as possible. It was a HUGE gift, it wasn’t his fault that it was also disgusting.

“Thank you, Maiden.” He replied before running a clawed hand through your hair gently. You felt a blush grace your cheeks and you looked down at your lap shyly. Your knees were still pressed together and the feeling of the heat between you was almost scalding. 

The two you looked at one another, and something large and heavy passed between you. “Senka…” You began but he hushed you with another clawed hand through your hair. 

“You should rest, Y/N. It’s been a long morning. I’ll watch over you.” He encouraged you to lean back against him. This was the closest the two of you had ever been and you felt anxiety blow through you. This was at the same time everything you had wanted with him and everything you were terrified of with him. 

He tucked you neatly against his side and you rested the back of your head against the space between his chest and his arm. He rested his arm gently against your shoulders and cupped your elbow encouragingly. You let out the breath you were holding and allowed yourself to ease back against him.

He felt safe and gentle and… home. He felt like home. You felt at peace with him and you couldn’t believe that you’d gotten to this point already. You brushed a hand against your pocket and felt the hard lump of the marble there. You smiled to yourself and nuzzled against him happily. You could think about the consequences of this later, for now, Senka was right, you needed rest.

XXX


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated! Here's some long awaited smut, y'all!
> 
> TW: for panic attacks in this one.

XXX

You awoke some hours later. The feeling of an arm wrapped around you sent your brain into a panic and you all but threw yourself to the floor away from the presence at your side. You rubbed a fist against your eyes frantically to try and clear your vision.

“Y/N?” A concerned voice called out from the couch,

You awkwardly crab walked yourself backwards and away from the voice. _How the hell had he gotten in?!_ You’d been so careful, so watchful! How the hell did he find you!? Your back bumped against a wall and you looked around nervously.

Across from you, Senka was in a half crouch, half stand with an arm stretched towards you and concern written across his face. Recollection came back to you like a train smashing into your brain then. You blinked rapidly and felt tears collect in your eyes. It was Senka. He wasn’t here, you were safe. It was Senka. You were safe. You repeated that to yourself a few more times before hanging your head and resting it against your knees. 

“Y/N?” Senka repeated. His voice was worried and you couldn’t blame him. That had been a pretty violent reaction.

You gave him a weak wave but didn’t lift your head. The adrenaline that had shot through you was leaving you now and you felt more fatigued than you had before you’d taken your nap. “I’m fine, Sen. Give me a moment.”

The creature listened to your request, which surprised you. Normally, people had the tendency to hover after an episode like that. You were grateful that he was willing to actually listen to what you wanted instead of assuming he knew better. You smiled sadly against your knees. He just kept getting better and better to be honest. 

It took a few minutes for the trembling in your limbs to subside. You knew that Senka was anxious to find out what had happened and what was wrong, but he kept his silence and waited for you to give him leave to check on you.

You let out a loud sigh and raised your head. You rested it against the wall behind you and watched as Senka followed the movement of your throat. “I’m sorry, I’m alright.” You said quietly.

Senka huffed at you in disbelief. He stood from the couch and made his way to you cautiously. He sat a little ways away from you and tilted his head at you curiously. “You aren’t.” He said evenly. “I won’t push you to tell me what happened, but don’t lie to me please.” 

You closed your eyes and swallowed anxiously. You weren’t ready for this yet. You honestly doubted that you’d ever be ready. “Alright.” You said to him simply. You appreciated that he wasn’t pushing you, but there was no way you could give him your life story right now. It was too long, too painful, and you liked him, but you weren’t sure you trusted him like that yet.

He didn’t say anything, but he continued to sit with you on the floor while your heart rate slowed down. Normally, you preferred to be alone when you’d had an attack like that. But, something about his presence was soothing and you focused on the gentle sound of his breathing and the feeling of his heat across from you.

You spent the rest of the lounging. Senka occasionally shot you glances but he didn’t bring up what had happened and you appreciated that. By the time the two of you decided to call it a night you were fine. Or as close to fine as you ever were. You didn’t really want to sleep alone that night, but your skin was already feeling a little sensitive from the amount of time you’d spent pressed against Senka that day. You hadn’t been that physically close to someone for a long time. You missed it. It was a form of intimacy that you didn’t get much of anymore. 

You yawned loudly and waved to Senka as he made his way to your room. You needed a good nights sleep and to put this day behind you. You’d be right as rain!

XXX

You panted heavily, pushing air forcefully in and out of your lungs. You were exhausted, but you had to keep going. Your arms pumped at your sides and you willed yourself to keep moving forward. Behind you, a branch came crashing down against the forest floor. A thrill of excitement swept through you and you dared a glance backward. A shadow darted just beyond your field of vision. He was close. You knew you were being hunted but for some reason the idea of it excited you. You wanted to be caught, all of this running was a game, foreplay.

You passed too close to a thorny bush and caught your arm in its grasping branches. You’d cut yourself but it was only a minor wound, you didn’t have time to worry about that. You had a predator just steps behind you, and he was going to devour you. You urged your barefeet to go just a little farther, for just a little longer. Pinpricks of pain shot up your legs as you stepped on forest debris. You paid it little mind though, adrenaline was coursing through your system, pushing you to go farther than you normally would. You felt like Little Red Riding Hood, being hunted by the Big Bad Wolf. 

You veered quickly to your right in an attempt to throw off your pursuer. You narrowly avoided running into a tree and winced as you stepped on a sharp rock. You weren’t going to be able to keep up this pace indefinitely. Something was going to have to give, and you had a feeling it was going to be you. The sound of another pair of footsteps pounding against the dirt behind you was your only indication that the chase was over.

He’d caught up to you.

With a feral growl, you were swept from your feet and tossed onto your back on the forest floor. You gasped in surprise and looked upwards with wide eyes. The small sticks and stones under you pricked uncomfortably at the back of your thighs. Your eyes met those of your captor, or that of your captor, he only had a single glowing golden eye.

The two of you were panting heavily, your chests rising and falling in tandem. You licked nervously at your bottom lip and watched as the large creature before you tracked the motion. He may have been the one to catch you, but he was far from the only predator here. You tilted your jaw upwards at him in a challenge, displaying the column of your throat in invitation.

A low rumble poured from his chest and you felt the hair on the back of your neck raise in anticipation. He was nude, beautifully and deliciously nude. Your eyes watched as his midnight black cock bobbed up and down once as his abdominal muscles contracted. You could see the tip of his large dick leaking already and you grinned wickedly at him. 

You opened your mouth to speak, to say what you weren’t sure, something dirty more than likely. Before you could get any words out though, the shadowy creature knelt slowly at your feet. You felt your throat go dry at the expression on his face and bucked your hips against the air in surprise. Fuck, you wanted him. You bit your lip hard, in an attempt to ground yourself.

A clawed hand stroked against your ankle slowly and you hummed in approval at finally being touched. The creature seemed to take this as encouragement and shuffled himself forward on his knees. He bent forward and crawled his way up your body. You watched with a racing heart as his mouth full of lethal teeth opened and he licked against one of your nipples as he passed. You shivered at the sensation and arched your back in an attempt to be closer to him.

He nipped playfully at your collar bone before burying his nose into the crook of your neck. He inhaled deeply as he rutted his large cock against the inside of one of your thighs. You gasped in surprise at the sensation and were rewarded by another grind against your naked skin. You moaned lowly in your throat and finally reached eager hands up to grasp at the creature’s shoulders. You dug your fingers into the thick portion of his muscles and made an attempt to lift your hips onto his cock. 

He was apparently not done teasing you though, because he pulled back immediately. You whined at the loss of contact and looked at him desperately. He gave you a knowing smirk and fondled himself lightly while he looked down at your naked body.

“Do you want me, Maiden?” He asked in a voice that seemed to rumble through the whole forest.

You ran your hands frantically down your body in an attempt to relieve some tension. He watched you writhe on the ground in desperation, his smirk growing by the second. Normally, you liked being in control, but you felt safe with him. You didn’t mind letting him see you so needy and so vulnerable because you knew he was going to take care of you.

He growled quietly at you and used one large hand to grip your hip possessively. “I asked you a question.” 

“Yes!” You gasped loudly.

He used his grip on you to pull you closer to him until the backs of your thighs were pressed against the fronts of his. You whined at him again and made another attempt to run your fingers through your wet folds. He seemed to get annoyed with you at this point. He leaned forwards, resting his elbows on either side of your head and bent his head to your ear. 

“You’re a needy little thing, aren’t you Maiden?” He licked delicately around the shell of your ear and hummed in appreciation of your taste. “I need you to use your words though, Maiden. Let me know you want me. Let me know you want me to lick you open, spear you with my tongue until you’re gasping for air. Let me know you want me to take you from behind, because I would love to see how my dick looks sinking into that tight little pussy of yours. Let me know that I can mark you and claim you as mine, that you’re going to scream my name as I ride you through every orgasm I can wring from this beautiful body of yours.” 

“Yes, Sen!” You replied desperately.

He rolled his hips against you and you could feel him slide against your opening. You shivered at the sensation. “Do you want to take my dick? Do you want it inside of you? I imagine it’s going to fill you up, make you ache for days.” He bit gently against the skin of your neck and you keened a note against his strange skin.

“That’s it, Maiden. Sing for me.” He growled against your skin, biting harder against your skin. You were going to bruise, you knew it, but the thought of it excited you. You were going to wear the mark with pride, happy to let the world know that you’d been fucked by this god of a monster. He ground against you a few more times. The head of his cock caught against your opening with each pass. You made an attempt to angle your hips to catch him fully but he had you pinned neatly beneath him.

You’d had enough teasing. “Senka, please! Please, I need it!” You all but screamed.

“That’s my girl.” He purred into your ear. 

He shuffled down your body in one quick movement. The cool air of the forest swept across your chest, you missed his warmth immediately. It was short lived however, as Senka took a firm hold of the flesh of your thighs and pushed them up towards your chest. You were exposed completely to the world now but you were too aroused to feel any shame. The anticipation of the moment was winding like a coil inside of you and you were afraid you were going to burst any moment. 

Senka nosed against your clit eagerly and your back arched at the sudden sensation. He growled against your folds and the reverberation traveled up your nerves and into your brain. You ground yourself against his face and whimpered. You needed some fucking friction!

“Sen, Sen, please, baby, please!” 

“Shhh, Maiden. I’ve got you.” Senka hushed you with a gentle nuzzle against one of your thighs. He seemed to realize that you were overstimulated and couldn’t handle much more teasing. “I have you, I’ll take care of you.”

The mood seemed to shift then, from one of desperation to one of adoration. Senka kissed your fevered skin gently and you felt the frantic energy coursing through you slow to a dull roar. You exhaled a last urgent breath and let your hands wander down. Your fingers came into contact with Senka’s long and twisted horns. You allowed yourself to trace the edges and the lines of them while he peppered you with sweet kisses.

Once you’d calmed down, he returned to your folds. He licked you gently, tasting you experimentally. Your hands immediately made their way into the short hair at the back of his head. It was soft against your skin and you twisted the strands around your fingers eagerly. Senka hummed in approval and gave you another soft lick.

The next few minutes were spent much the same way. Senka was learning the touches you liked with a muted fervor. He ran his long, grey tongue across your slit. He circled your clit slowly a few times before sucking on it with a wet slurp. You bucked against him and felt him smile against your skin. The fire was coming back to you. Your skin had had time to acclimate to his touch and you felt desperate for it now.

“Baby…” You whispered brokenly. 

He knew what you meant, which was a good thing, because words were failing you now. His grip on your thighs tightened and the speed of his tongue increased. He suckled on your clit and licked his way into your opening as far as he could. The feeling of his large slippery tongue working it’s way over you was burning a fire right through your gut. 

He shifted suddenly, propping one of your legs against his shoulder to free a hand. You felt a moment of concern, thinking about the length of his claws. That thought was quickly replaced by a crackling in your brain though as he used the knuckles from two of his fingers to work gently inside of you. He wasn’t able to go far, but the stretch at your opening was exactly what you needed.

“Nnghh” You muttered unintelligibly. 

He returned his mouth to your clit and attacked it with a vengeance. He set a brutal but steady rhythm that had you gripping his horns and grinding against his face with abandon. He grunted at you in approval as you used your leverage on his horns to turn his head to a better angle. He continued to work his fingers inside of you and his tongue over you until you were covered in a fine sheen of sweat. You were desperate and right on the edge of an orgasm. The fire in your belly had spread to every one of your limbs and your nerve endings felt like they were being struck by lightning.

Senka gave you one final hard lick against your clit before sucking on it hungrily. That was all you needed to send you over the edge. Your vision blacked at the edges as you came hard against the knuckles at your entrance. Senka continued to stroke and lick you through your tremors. Your head fell back against the dirt below you and you took a moment in an attempt to catch your breath. You whimpered Senka’s name as you came down from your orgasm and smiled at him from his position between your legs. He returned the look and you thought he’d never looked better. His face was damp with your juices, his hair tousled from your fingers and his eye wild with hunger. 

“You look good down there, Sen.” You said with a blush. You were feeling bold after your orgasm.

He nipped playfully at your thigh before licking the spot lewdly. “Maybe I’ll stay, Maiden.”

You hummed thoughtfully at that. As pleasant as it sounded… you had other ideas. “I think it’s your turn now, monster.” You said to him huskily. 

The fire in his eye burned brighter, and he again crawled slowly up your body. You watched with wide eyes as the smoke of his body licked around the edges of your skin. He held himself over you and looked down at you with a predatory smile. 

“And what do you plan to do to me, Mai-”

A wet nose startled you awake and you sat up frantically. You looked around in confusion before your eyes landed on Twain’s gentle face and slowly wagging tail. You blinked several times to try and clear your mind. _A fucking dream… or a dream about fucking…_ You thought to yourself ridiculously. You rubbed a hand over your face in irritation and realized that not only were you covered in sweat, but that your underwear was soaked. 

You threw yourself back on the couch. Twain needed to go outside to pee. It wasn’t his fault, but you could fucking strangle him for waking you up!

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little image of what I see Senka looking like! Just a doodle of our boy!
> 
> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/alrightmandy/50717370462/in/dateposted-public/)


	7. Chapter 7

XXX

The two of you spent the next few days milling about the house together. Things were comfortable and you had fallen into a nice routine of working and relaxing. You weren’t sure if Senka had things he needed to get back to, a family waiting on him or a job to do, but he didn’t seem in any rush to go anywhere and you were secretly happy for it. You two hadn’t discussed him leaving yet and you were sort of hoping that the topic just… wouldn’t come up. It was foolish of you to think that but you weren’t ready to think about losing him yet. 

You yawned widely as you stepped onto the porch. It was still early morning, the sun having just barely risen over the horizon and you were still half asleep. Behind you, Senka was stretching gently and he looked about as sleepy as you felt. There was a fine layer of frost on the ground and you could clearly see the fine fog that your breath created when you exhaled. You turned and smiled at the large creature behind you and he returned the smile easily. 

You were still getting used to seeing him with only one eye. He didn’t seem bothered by it in the slightest and you wondered for the hundredth time just what he was. In your pocket, the golden marble of his missing eye felt pleasantly warm against your chilled skin. You opened your mouth to give him a flirtatious good morning when the expression on his face froze. 

You frowned at him curiously. “Wha-”

“Quiet!” He snapped at you without warning. 

You were taken aback. In the almost two months that he had been here, he’d never once spoken to you so harshly. You felt tears come to your eyes unbidden and you cursed yourself for this show of weakness.

He tilted his nose in the air and sniffed a few times. You watched tension gather in his shoulders. He stepped quickly around you so that you were behind him and he was standing between you and the forest.

“Get inside. Now.” His voice was pitched lower than you’d ever heard it and it sent a thrill down your spine. Though you weren’t sure if it was a thrill of terror or arousal. Something was obviously wrong and while you wanted to argue, you could tell from the tight line of his jaw and the curling of his fingers that now wasn’t the time. 

You stepped cautiously back towards the open french doors of your room. You didn’t close the doors but you did tuck yourself behind the curtains that hung over them. You peered around the edge and watched as the tight muscles of Senka’s back bunched together. A soft growl hit the air and you looked around for Twain anxiously. But, the dog was still in the living room, sleeping and blissfully unaware of what was happening. No, the growl was coming from Senka. You’d never heard him make that sound before. Just what in the fuck was going on?!

You wanted to ask. Obviously something was wrong. If you were treating this situation like you would with an animal, you would assume that a predator was nearby. The thought made your blood run cold. A predator… Senka was arguably the largest and most intimidating creature you’d ever seen. If he was acting this nervous… what the hell was out there? Your eyes immediately tracked to the puckered wound at his side. _Fuck… if it’s whatever caused that, we’re in trouble._

You didn’t want to leave, just in case something happened. But, you also refused to be some waifish maiden waiting for someone to save her if shit hit the fan. Quietly, you slunk backwards and hustled your way into the kitchen. You still needed to get that gun… But, a kitchen knife would do for now, it was better than nothing anyway. You crept back into your bedroom as quietly as you could manage with a knife in hand. You’d let the curtain fall over the doors and you couldn’t see outside. You were afraid to peel the corner back to check, but you needed to know what was happening. 

Frowning, and with hands shaking, you shifted the curtain ever so slightly out of the way. Nothing. _The fuck…_ You’d been expecting to see Senka’s large and tense form standing on your porch like you’d left him, but he wasn’t there. You opened the curtain a little further and looked out as far as you could to either side from your vantage point. Where the hell had he gone? You huffed in irritation. You wanted to go and check on him, but if you couldn’t see him from here, it was likely that he’d hauled ass into the woods. And if that was the case… you shivered. He was after something, and it was obviously something threatening. 

Now, you were facing a dilemma. You could feel your heart racing and you clenched the knife in your hand tighter. There was no way that you were prepared to go traipsing into the woods looking for him right now. You weren’t dressed appropriately and if whatever was out there was enough to scare him, it would certainly have no trouble killing you. He had told you to get inside, so obviously he wanted you out of the way. Should you close and lock the doors? He wouldn’t be able to get back in without knocking. But, then again, would some flimsy human constructed doors be able to keep out whatever was out there? Probably not.

“Fuck!” You whispered in frustration to yourself. You had to trust that Senka knew what he was doing. He was a grown… whatever he was. You closed the open door quickly and locked it for good measure. Senka would know to get your attention when he came back. You nodded to yourself in decision. You tucked the knife in your hands into the waistband of your sweats, not the smartest idea, but you wanted it close and you needed your hands. You made your way quickly through your house, checking that doors and windows were locked. And while you hadn’t bothered with any of the supernatural protections around the house since you had moved in, you figured it wouldn’t hurt to reinforce those now too. 

You were desperately trying to ignore the terror that was running through you. The longer that Senka was gone, the more worried you became. Was he out there checking things out? Or had he been murdered by some hell creature you couldn’t even conceive? Was it on it’s way here now? Fuck, fuck, fuck!

While you hadn’t been worried about being attacked by anything non-human when you had moved in, your parents had insisted that you put at least some basic protections in place. Again, you wished that you had listened to them in the first place and gone the extra mile. Your mother had insisted that a sigil be painted in the center of your living room. And while it was ugly and you had covered it with a rug and your coffee table, you were grateful for it now. You quickly moved the coffee table and threw the rug back to reveal the white paint. She had wanted it carved into the wood but you had put your foot down on that and you’d compromised with painting it. You took a deep breath and pulled the kitchen knife from the waistband of your jeans. You cut a thin line across the fleshy part of your thumb, no need to go overboard, and smeared the blood in the center of the sigil. It glowed blue briefly to show it had been activated and you nodded to yourself in satisfaction.

You left the living room as it was and hurried back to your kitchen. The porch ceiling was already painted a sky blue so that took care of your entrance way. You grabbed the salt from your pantry and a few smudge sticks from the junk drawer. You laid a quick line of salt along the doorways and windows of your house. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing, and set the sage burning gently in several bowls around the house. You looked around anxiously. There really wasn’t much else for you to do at the moment. And honestly, the protections you’d put in place were some of the most generic out there. Aside from the blood seal, everything else was designed to keep evil spirits away. Who the fuck even know what was out there?

You glanced out the window. The sun had risen considerably since you’d started and you slumped against your couch. You were tired, hell you’d been tired when you woke up. Now, you’d spent the last hour frantically running around your house, heart pounding every minute. Your eyes darted across the landscape outside your window and you sighed unhappily.

“Where are you, Sen?” You asked aloud. Twain sat on the floor next to you, his ears perked in attention. You weren’t sure if he could sense something was wrong, or if he was just picking up on your anxiety. Whatever it was though, he had been glued to your side since you’d started tearing through the house.

You ran a hand through his thick fur and noticed that you were trembling. You were afraid, more so that you’d been in a long time. You and Twain could get in your jeep and drive away, just abandon everything for a while and come back when things had settled down? Would that be overreacting though? You had no idea what was even happening! Senka could have just been mistaken, or was being overly cautious. Hell, he could be out there hunting Bambi for all you knew.

You thought back to the look on his face and the sound of his voice as he had barked commands at you. No... Something had been wrong. You just didn’t know what. You settled back more fully against your couch. There wasn’t anything to do now except wait. And while you were still anxious, your heart still pounding, you found that you were oddly comforted knowing that Senka was out there looking after you. 

It was a stressful hour of waiting before the sound of claws tapped against the glass in your bedroom. You grabbed the knife from where it lay beside you on the couch and crept slowly into the room. Judging from Twain’s reaction, or lack of one, it was Senka. Still, you peeked surreptitiously around the curtain in the room just to make sure. Senka was standing on the porch, looking exhausted but whole. 

Relief flooded through you and you unlocked and tossed the door open. He gave you a weary smile and the sight of him safe and back at your home sent a thrill through you. Without thinking too much about it, you threw yourself at him and wrapped your arms around his neck tightly. He caught you with a muffled “oof!” and staggered back just slightly. He seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly wrapped his long arms around you and tucked his nose against your neck. You stood like that for a time, both breathing in the smell of the other and confirming that they were here and safe.

“I’m okay, Maiden.” Senka whispered against your skin.

You shivered a little at the feeling of his lips ghosting over your neck before releasing him and standing on your feet again. You looked up at him in concern and he ran a hand over your hair comfortingly. Your hands lifted and you squeezed against his forearm in acknowledgement. 

“What happened?” You asked flatly. This had been a nightmare of a morning and you had no idea what had even happened.

He nodded to you gently and gestured towards the living room with his head. Silently, you closed and locked the door to the outside and followed behind him towards the couch. He paused when he saw the blood smeared across the large white symbol on the floor. He looked at you curiously and you gave him a lopsided smile and a shrug.

“You’re far more clever than you give yourself credit for.” He said with a smile. He reached out and took both your hands, examining each before finding the cut across the thumb. He ran one clawed finger over it gently before bringing it to his lips and kissing the wound softly. You couldn’t hear much aside from the sound of blood rushing in your ears now but you made a valiant effort to focus on him. 

He kept a hold of your hand and used it to pull you towards your couch. The two of you settled on it comfortably, your hand still held in his. Twain trotted up and lay his large head on one of Senka’s knees. Senka sighed quietly and ran his free hand across the dog’s fur. 

“I know that you’ve been curious about what brought me here.” He started to say, speaking to Twain. “I’ve been reluctant to share that with you and I want to apologize for that. I realize now that it was selfish and hasn’t done anything but put you in danger.” He paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts.

You gave his hand a gentle squeeze to encourage him and the tension in his shoulders relaxed marginally. 

“I don’t think you realize how brave you are to be living this close to the forest. There’s a long tradition in human culture to tell tales of the things that lurk in the darkness, creatures that hide in the depths of nature, ready to snatch the unsuspecting.” He looked up from Twain’s fur to stare out the living room window, a frown on his face.

“There are reasons for those stories, Maiden. Reasons that have been forgotten as time has worn on and the world has evolved. There are…” He shook his head. “It’s difficult to describe.”

Anxiety was seeping into your pores the longer you listened to him speak. This sounded like the intro to a horror movie. “Sen… just what is going on?” You finally asked, voice shaking slightly. He still had a hold of one of your hands and you pulled it into your lap to get his attention. 

He turned to you with a grim expression on his face. You searched his face for an answer you weren’t sure you even wanted. His grip on your hand tightened and you could feel the bite of the tips of his claws as they pricked your skin lightly.

“I don’t know if it has a name.” He said in a whisper. 

You could feel the hair on the back of your neck as it stood to attention. A cold sweat was breaking out over your skin and you knew that a fine tremble had started in your hands. That was the most fucking ominous thing you’d ever heard in your entire fucking life. You opened your mouth, though to say what, you had no idea. The look in Senka’s single golden eye stilled your tongue however and you snapped your mouth closed quickly. 

“I don’t know if it has a name, but I know it has a purpose.” Senka continued quietly.

Senka tilted his head backwards and used his spare hand to rub nervously at his throat. You tracked the movement, a growing sense of fear blooming inside your belly. Senka sighed heavily once before turning to face you again. 

“To corrupt everyone and everything.”


	8. Chapter 8

XXX

The gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on you. That was the most intense and terrifying thing you had ever heard. You were at a loss for words as you stared at Senka’s strange face. He wasn’t paying attention to you though. He was looking at you, but he seemed to be looking through you and into somewhere else. Somewhere dark, somewhere frightening. His grip on your hand tightened and you realized that you were shaking. You pulled your hand from his and used it to wipe against your cheeks. You had started crying at some point, and you cursed yourself silently for it. You always cried when you were scared and it was something you’d done since childhood. You had always hated it. 

“Maiden…” Senka said softly. Your eyes refocused on him and saw that he was seeing you again. 

“I’m here, Sen.” You said in a whisper. You ran a shaking hand through your hair and bit nervously at your lips. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to frighten you.” He told you with a sad smile. “I’m not doing a very good job at explaining myself, am I?” 

He cleared his throat and ran a large knuckle against your cheek, collecting a single tear as he did so. “I had meant to tell you why I was here.” He frowned and the pinch between his eyebrows would have been cute if the situation wasn’t so serious. 

He sighed heavily and turned towards the large window in the room. A beautiful early afternoon lay beyond and it shone in direct contrast to the heaviness of the conversation the two of you were having. It seemed almost laughable that a day that nice could be outside the door when inside the turmoil was palpable in the air. 

“Perhaps now isn’t the time…” Senka’s posture relaxed slightly at his statement and he turned a half smirk towards you. “Would you forgive me if I needed some time to collect my thoughts?”

You blinked at him in surprise. You didn’t want to push him but you felt like you deserved some answers at this point. This was a dilemma… You were terrified but maybe you needed some time to collect your thoughts as well? You bit the inside of your cheek in thought. 

“Am I in danger right now?” You asked after a moment.

Senka looked startled at your question and he turned immediately to face you fully. “No! No, Maiden. I would never put off a conversation like this if you were in any sort of immediate danger. I’m sorry, I’m being selfish again. We can discuss this now.”

You considered this for a moment before shaking your head. There had been too much excitement this morning and you needed some time to think about this… creature that was out to not only kill Senka, but wanted to fucking corrupt the planet apparently.

_Sounds like someone I knew…_ You thought bitterly. Now wasn’t the time for dark humor though, you were likely to tip yourself over into a panic attack if you kept that up.

“No, we can wait for now. I uh, I need to calm down and get the house back in order.” You were proud that your voice sounded stronger than you had anticipated.

Senka gave you a sad but appreciative smile. “What have I done in my life to deserve your kindness?”

You felt yourself blush. “Apparently almost bleeding to death on someone’s floor is an endearing quality.” 

Senka suppressed a laugh at that. He leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead against your own. The two of you sat like that for a time before he whispered “thank you” and slowly pulled away.

XXX

The two of you didn’t speak much for the rest of the day. It had been an eventful morning and both of you needed time to process what had happened and what that meant for your relationship. You moved around one another like pieces of a well-oiled machine as you put the house back to rights. You had initially tried to clean the blood off of the floor, but Senka had stopped you. You didn’t like the idea of blood staining your wood floors but Senka had insisted you keep the extra protection the sigil offered for now. 

You had a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach everytime you caught sight of Senka around the house that day. Something about the way he moved, or the way he looked was… off. You chalked it up to him being caught up in his thoughts about what had happened, but you had a sneaking suspicion that it was something deeper than that.

He helped you cook dinner that night, it was comfortable and domestic, even with Twain constantly underfoot and tripping the both of you. You ate in silence, the only sounds in the house were Twain’s quiet breathing and the clatter of your silverware against your plates. You focused on memorizing the moment. It was the most comfortable you’d ever felt, despite the thoughts that were swirling around in your head.

You cleaned up the dishes while Senka walked around the house with Twain. He claimed it was to get air, but you had a feeling that he still wasn’t all that settled after the upset of the morning. You trusted that he would protect your dog and vice versa. It was sweet to think that your boys were out on a walk. You smiled secretly to yourself at the idea.

You took a quick shower while they were out and felt better than you had all day. Something about a warm shower always soothed your nerves. You were in pj’s by the time the boys returned. You looked up from your position on the couch to smile at them. Senka looked shy and his version of a blush crossed his features briefly. 

“All good?” You asked easily.

“Yes, Maiden. All good.” Senka replied.

Senka excused himself to the bathroom and you did your best to ignore the sound of the shower running a moment later. Your feelings were still all over the place after this morning, but you didn’t question that you were still VERY attracted to him. 

You distracted yourself by running your hands through Twain’s long fur. He was going to need a brush out soon. His undercoat was getting thicker due to the change in the weather. You ran a thumb between his eyes and stared into them in thought. He simply stared back, nothing but patience and love in his expression. 

You took a deep breath and allowed yourself to relax slightly. There was nothing quite as soothing as petting a patient dog. “I love you, sweet boy.” You whispered to him. He gave you a few slow tail thumps to let you know he’d heard you and that the feeling was mutual. 

Senka exited the shower a few minutes later, the smell of your body wash followed after him as he entered the living room. You looked up at him as he moved around the space and stood next to the couch. The smoke that drifted around his body seemed to curl higher now, maybe it was because he was warm from the shower? The sparkle in his remaining eye seemed to burn through the air around you and you focused on its warm pulse. 

“You’re beautiful, monster.” You said to him without thinking much about it. You had thought it for a while now, but hadn’t voiced it so plainly to him before. Normally, saying something that bold would frighten you, but you felt safe with him. He wouldn’t mock you.

He met your eyes levelly for a moment, as if weighing his options. The two of you regarded one another silently before he slowly extended a hand towards you. You frowned slightly at his hand then back up at his face. He was asking you for something, though you weren’t sure what it was.

“Come, Maiden.” He said softly.

Your frown stayed in place, but you reached for him and allowed him to help you to your feet. He gripped your hand loosely and pulled you from the couch and down your hall. Twain stood as well, and followed after you. Your eyebrows raised almost immediately towards your hairline when you realized he was leading you to your bedroom. You pushed your nerves to the side and focused your attention on the feeling of his large hand wrapped around yours. You didn’t know where this was going, but you trusted him implicitly. He wouldn’t ask of you more than you were willing to give.

He led you to the bed and you sat down against the edge gently. Twain hopped up on the foot of the bed, but you ignored him. You were now at a distinct height disadvantage to Senka. Your neck twinged slightly as you tilted your head up to look at him in question. You felt like a teenager, about to have her first time with a more experienced partner. You were looking to him for answers that he likely didn’t have. Twain’s large and silent presence at the foot of your bed calmed your nerves slightly.

Senka seemed to sense your reservation. He released your hand and knelt down before you. When he stood just in front of you, he dropped to his strange knees on the floor. You winced, despite yourself, at the sound of them connecting with the floor. He didn’t seem to notice though. It placed him almost at eye level with you. He ran his clawed thumbs lightly over your cheekbones and licked his strange lips slowly.

“Thank you for giving me some time to think today. I’d like to have that talk with you now, if you’re ready?” He asked quietly.

You nodded in confusion.

“I know my physical appearance is rather… startling.” He paused thoughtfully there and looked at his clawed hands where they rested against your skin. “Believe it or not, but I didn’t always look this way. I was human once… I think. It’s been so long now… I don’t really remember.” He leaned backwards on his heels and bit anxiously at his lower lip.

You blinked at him in surprise. You had been wondering just what he was but this was a fucking bombshell. He was dropping too many hard truths on you today and you were afraid your heart wasn’t going to be able to handle it. This was a rollercoaster of a day and it didn’t look like there was an end in sight.

Oblivious to your turmoil, Senka plowed on. “Sometimes I have these flashes of what I assume are memories…” He paused to think for a moment before shaking his head as if forgetting himself. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now. I only bring it up because it relates to this… being I mentioned earlier. The two of us have been following one another for what feels like eons. Hovering around one another like magnets with the same polarity. I can’t describe what about me draws it in, it’s been with me as long as I’ve been alive. For my part, I’ve been running from it for just as long. I think it’s this presence that’s warped me to look… well, how I do.”

Senka gestured down at himself with a disgusted face. “This body has been mine for years, but I will admit it’s never felt like home.” A devastated look crossed his dark face. “I don’t seem to notice it as much when I’m around you though. And I need to offer my sincerest apologies to you, Maiden. I’ve been selfish with your time and your generosity. You’ve been kinder than I deserve and I have taken advantage of that for my own ends.” 

Senka’s face morphed from one of devastation to one of misery. He dropped his hands loosely into his lap. You swallowed a large knot that had formed in your throat. Whatever you had been expecting when he’d led you in here, it wasn’t this.

“I should leave.” He said quietly.

If you’d been feeling panicked before it was nothing compared to the absolute dread that overcame you now. He wanted to leave? After all this, he wanted to just fucking leave?!

You let out a strangled sound in the back of your throat. An aborted sound that could have been a cry or could have been a scream. Senka didn’t even react, maybe the sound had only been in your head. Your internal monologue was a confused mix of half-formed words and shouts right now and you couldn’t be sure that you were making any sense.

“I don’t want to, Maiden. I hate myself for it, but I don’t. I’ve been… happy here. Happy for the first time in a long time, not just surviving. I know we haven’t really spoken about it, but I would like to think that you’ve felt similarly. Or that you’ve at least not hated my presence here.” He chuckled then, but it was a dry sound, devoid of anything warm or tender. 

You wanted to shout out to him, explain what you were feeling, assure him that you loved having him here, that you felt better with him around, but your throat seemed to have closed up around you, your words choked back into your chest like a sickness.

“I’m not safe to be around, this thing, whatever it is, has followed me forever, and it won’t stop now. It nearly killed me the last time I confronted it, it likely would have if you hadn’t taken me in like you had. I can’t trust that it won’t harm you as well if you’re near me. I would never forgive myself if anything… if anything happened to you because I was too selfish to do the right thing.”

He looked back into your eyes, though you almost wished that he hadn’t. There was a look of resolve on his features, a kind of quiet resignation that told you more than his words could. He wasn’t thinking about leaving, he’d already decided to go.

His hands hung limply at his sides. You wanted to reach out to him, but there was a fine tremble running through your entire body and you felt frozen to the spot. Senka opened his mouth to speak again but stopped, and instead rested both of his large hands on the outside of your thighs. 

Half an hour ago the touch would have thrilled you, but you knew what it meant now. It was a goodbye, not an admission of tender feelings, he was leaving and he was trying to be gentle about it. 

“Maiden…” He whispered. You could feel the brush of his breath against your cheek and you closed your eyes to try and memorize the feel of it. 

“I don’t understand. Why all of a sudden?” Your voice sounded small and hurt to your own ears.

Senka brushed a large knuckle against your cheek and smiled at you sadly. “It wasn’t sudden, Y/N. I should never have been here at all.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your forehead.

You blinked against the tears in your eyes and tried to meet his eye. He’d turned away however, and was running his hands through Twain’s long fur with a bitter smile on his face. “Watch over our girl.” He whispered to the large dog.

He stood fluidly and refused to look down at you again. He bit anxiously at his lower lip with his wicked teeth and nodded to himself in finality. “Stay safe, Maiden.” He hesitated for all of a moment, before he turned on his heel and walked past you and to your large french doors.

You sat there in shock, confused about how the morning had started so sweetly and had turned into this by the evening. There was a pain in your chest and you were sure it was your heart breaking. Why didn’t you argue with him? You should have demanded more answers! You couldn’t just let him go like that, with so much unsaid between you. 

You stood quickly and practically flew to the door. He didn’t want to leave and you didn’t want him too either! Surely, you could convince him to see reason. He was just overreacting. He’d dropped so much information in the last fifteen minutes that there was no way you could process all of it in the moment. So, you pushed it all to the side to focus on a single thought. 

_I have to stop him!_

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise shawty!! Sorry this took so long. I've really struggled with the direction for not only this chapter but for this story in general. It was meant to be a short and sweet monster romance but apparently that's not the case anymore. I have a vague idea of where I'm going with this but honestly I'm mostly letting it direct me where it wants to go. This was a dramatic chapter and there will be more that follow. But, I promise fluff will be added as well so don't feel too broken hearted. Let me know your thoughts and ideas for what is following Senka around!
> 
> <3


	9. Chapter 9

XXX

You’d apparently been in shock longer than you’d realized. As soon as you’d torn open the door to chase after Senka, it was obvious that you were too late. It was dark out and you were able to discern only vague outlines and shadows even with the light of the stars and the moon. You were dressed only in a comfortable pair of pants and a t-shirt and the temperature had plummeted once the sun had gone down. Still, you stepped out onto your deck, desperate to find your monster.

“Senka!” You shouted to the silent darkness. No answer.

“SENKA! Please!” You tried again. No answer.

You took a few hesitant steps down the steps and into the grass beyond. It was wet underfoot and it bit against your chilled skin cruelly. You wrapped your arms around yourself in a vain attempt to retain some of your warmth. _Stubborn asshole!_

“Monster, come back, please!” You tried again. You were losing steam at this point, your voice coming out more of a croak than a shout. You had known that this was futile, but you had had to try. 

You took another small step into the bitter and unwelcoming night. “Sen… please....” You whispered brokenly. 

You wanted nothing more than to tear off into the woods and try to find him. It sounded so romantic, barefoot and in sleep clothes, regardless of the branches breaking underfoot, without a care for your personal safety, only for Senka to come to your rescue once he realized the true depth of his feelings. But, this was real life and things like that didn’t happen. Besides, that felt manipulative. Senka had made a decision, and it was a STUPID decision, but it was his to make. You couldn’t keep him in your house against his will. 

You felt tears pool in the corners of your eyes. You needed to go back inside. It wasn’t safe out here at night. Even if you weren’t concerned about some eldritch horror coming after you from the very pit of Hell itself, there were still bears and coyotes around. You sniffed loudly and cast a last longing look at the forest beyond.

You turned in defeat and picked your way back into your house. Your feet were numb but you ignored the sensation, they would warm in time. Twain was still laying at the foot of your bed, seemingly oblivious to the new upheaval in your lives. You closed and locked your doors and sat heavily on the edge of your bed. You sighed sadly and felt the first of your tears as it traveled a hot path down your chilled cheek. 

You weren’t even sure what to make of the day. Your emotions were scattered across your mind like the stars in the sky. You were likely in some form of shock, as evidenced by the fact that you felt completely numb and your brain seemed incapable of processing any higher level thoughts. 

A wet nose at your elbow startled you and you turned to look at your large dog. He grunted at you softly and you gave him a soft smile. “Hey, good boy.” You whispered to him and ran your hands through his thick fur. He army crawled his way closer to you and placed his large head on one of your thighs. 

You felt your lower lip tremble at his gentle gesture and that seemed to release the floodgates. The slow flow of tears down your cheeks became a waterfall and you gasped loudly at the onslaught of your despair. You bent over Twain’s head and buried your nose in the fur around his neck. It felt good to allow yourself to let go of everything you’d been holding in since that morning. You didn’t need to think right now, didn’t need to reason what was happening, you needed to cleanse yourself and allow the patient and loving presence of your dog to soothe your aches.

Twain held his position in your lap and allowed you to soak his fur with your sadness. You cried for what felt like hours, letting go of your secret hopes and private dreams about a life with Senka here. In the morning, maybe the last few months would feel like some strange fever dream, but for right now, they burned inside of you like a gasoline fire. You cried and cried, and when you couldn’t cry anymore, you shook and trembled, feeling cold and hot at the same time.

Eventually, you fell asleep with your nose still buried in Twain’s thick fur and your heart broken for a life you’d never live.

XXX

You awoke the next morning with a pounding headache and crusted eyelids. You rubbed your knuckles against your eyes in irritation and felt the sleep in your eyes fall away. You stretched your arms above your head and felt a twinge in your neck and back from sleeping in such a strange position. You blinked at Twain in confusion and looked around your room with a frown. _What the- Oh. Right._

And just like that, the previous day and night came hurtling back into your memories like a bulldozer. Senka had left. Honestly, it still didn’t feel quite real. In fact, it felt so much like a bad dream that you made your way around your house in a vain attempt to find him lurching about. But no, he was gone, off into the forest like he’d never been here.

In fact, there wasn’t even anything to indicate that he’d EVER been here, except the large steaks in your fridge and… You slapped a hand down on the pocket of your sleep pants. Sure enough, a small bulge met your palm and you clenched your fist. You swallowed against a dry throat but didn’t pull the marble from your pocket yet. You weren’t quite ready to look at it. It seemed like it would truly be confirmation that he’d left.

Upon entering your room again, you noticed Twain pawing quietly at the french doors to the outside. Your heart leapt momentarily. _Is he back?!_ You tore to the doors and flung back the curtains. Nothing but a misty morning lay beyond and you felt your heart plummet into your stomach. You glanced down towards your dog and he pawed at the door again.

“Need to pee?” You asked hoarsely as you unlocked the door and pulled it slowly open.

Twain gave you a single tail wag in appreciation before trotting outside to sniff and do his business. You watched him from your position at the door and felt the cold air nip at your exposed toes. You looked towards the forest behind your house, though you could only make out the outlines and shadows of it in the fog. Your grieving brain seemed to conjure Senka’s large form coming towards you from the fog in every direction that you looked. You slammed your eyes against the daydream and closed your door quickly. Twain would scratch when he was ready to come back in.

Finding yourself suddenly alone after spending so many nights and days with a companion in your home was jarring. What did you do with yourself? How did you spend your time before? How did someone function alone? You felt empty now, sorry for yourself. You knew in time that you would be angry at yourself for feeling so alone because of a man, monster or otherwise. But right now, the sharpness of your solitude felt like broken glass in your chest.

You wandered around your house for a time, picking up random items and then putting them back down. You spent a time looking at yourself in the mirror until you were no longer able to recognize your own face. You were being pathetic, but fuck it. You needed time to process all of this. Breakups were hard, whether they were romantic or platonic relationships. 

A shrill ringing cut across the silence of your house and you winced in surprise at the sound. It took you a moment to realize that it was your cell phone ringing. You hadn’t heard the sound in a few weeks and it took you a moment to place it. You rushed into your room to grab the item off your bedside table and stared in confusion at the name across the screen.

“Hello?” You asked hesitantly as you answered the call.

“Y/N?” A light female voice asked.

“Uh, yeah…”

“Why do you sound so weird?” The voice asked in concern.

You blinked in confusion for a moment. Apparently, you were further out of it than you’d realized. You shook your head to try and clear your thoughts. “Alex?” You asked in surprise.

There was a pointed silence on the other end of the line. “Do I need to call you an ambulance, what the hell is wrong with you? Of course it’s Alex!”

You ran a hand over your face to try and focus. “Sorry, Al. Little out of it this morning.”

“Mhm,” came the unconvinced voice of your editor. “ Do you need to talk about anything?” She said a little more sympathetically.

You thought about that a moment. You weren’t exactly friends with Alex, but she’d been your editor for a number of years and the two of you were friendly. It might be nice to talk to someone about… no, no, that wouldn’t work. 

“No, no, I’m sorry. What’s up?” 

Silence again. Uh-oh, that usually only meant one thing. “Well, darling, I’m just calling to remind you that you’re close to a week past your deadline.” She cleared her throat and her voice dropped a notch. “You’re usually punctual so I wanted to give you some space but the publishers are starting to get a little… pushy.”

_FUCK!_ You’d been plugging along so well with your work recently, but all of the excitement recently had distracted you. And you definitely didn’t feel like working right now. And maybe that was the cruelest thing about this whole situation. Life didn’t stop just because you were sad. 

“Shit, Al. I’m sorry, things have been uh… rough here recently.” You answered in a hollow voice.

“I assumed as much. Listen, I can put those damn vultures off for a few days, but you’ve gotta give me something to show to them.” Alex was silent for a moment, before she continued. “Really, do you want to talk about anything?”

The sympathy in her voice was apparent and you had a moment of regret for not cultivating a stronger bond with her before. You’d lived in fear and solitude for a long time and that was a hard pattern to break. You’d been pretty fresh out of your last… relationship when you’d met her and hadn’t been comfortable getting close to anyone. Now, it felt too late.

“No, I’m fine, but thank you. Look, uh, give me a few days, ok? I have the outline mostly put together, it just needs some adjustment.” 

“Sure thing, kiddo. Call me if you need anything? And give that dog of yours a kiss for me!”

You smiled against your phone at her upbeat tone. “Yeah, of course. Later.”

“Bye!”

You ended the call and stared thoughtfully at the dark phone in your hand. You closed your eyes and sighed deeply. You wanted nothing more than to lay in bed for a week and feel sorry for yourself. But, it looked like real life was catching up a little more quickly than you’d prefer.

A scratch at your french doors caught your attention. You looked over and saw Twain standing patiently on the porch to be let in. You smiled at him sadly before letting him in, you should really wipe his feet first, but found that you didn’t care about dirty pawprints on your floor right now.

You gave him a peck between his eyes before closing and locking the door behind him. You should shower or something, maybe it would help get you out of this funk. You paused on your way out the door. Only now realizing that Twain had plopped himself down on the floor and was carefully gnawing on something. 

You frowned and pried his large jaws off the item. If he’d brought in another dead animal…

You wrinkled your nose in disgust at the wet item. You straightened it out in your hands and frowned at it in confusion. “A beanie?” You asked aloud. Because although there were a number of holes chewed into the black material, there was no mistaking that it was indeed a knit hat. You turned your frown to Twain and he met your eyes placidly. 

“Where did you find this nasty thing?” You asked him.

Twain didn’t respond and you rolled your eyes at him. “At least it isn’t a skunk like last time.” You said to yourself. It was likely a lost item from a hiker, strange things like this turned up around the woods from time to time. Another one of those forest mysteries, you supposed. 

You tossed the hat into your kitchen trash before wiping your hands on your pants. You needed to try and get your head on straight. You wanted nothing more than to lay in your bed and cry for the rest of the day, but you needed to at least TRY to do something. You knew that you were predisposed to depression and if you allowed yourself to fall that direction you’d have a hell of a time digging yourself out again.

_One thing at a time. Shower first._ You thought to yourself. One thing at a time was manageable. You could do one thing at a time. 

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short and isn't perfect, I don't love it. It's mostly filler. But, the next one should be more exciting!


	10. Chapter 10

XXX

You woke with a gasp and sat straight up in bed. You looked around the shadows of your room frantically but there was stillness in every direction. You held a hand over your chest and breathed heavily. You’d had a nightmare, though you couldn’t remember the details. Something about being chased… That was a common theme for your nightmares. You just hadn’t had one in a while. You gulped against a dry throat and leaned your head back against your headboard.

Beside you, Twain stirred in his sleep. His large paws kicked gently at the air as if running from some imaginary predator. You gave him a wry smile. _Me too, buddy._ Your skin was hot and there was a fine sheen of sweat covering most of your body. You grimaced in distaste and pulled your damp sleep clothes away from your body. Your bed was damp under you as well, must have been a hell of a dream for you to sweat through your clothes and onto the sheets. 

You rubbed a hand against your face and closed your eyes. It had been almost a week since Senka had left and you were still sleeping like shit. You’d managed to submit an outline to Alex a few days ago, though it definitely wasn’t your best work. You were desperately trying to get yourself back into a normal routine but there was a gaping hole of loneliness in your chest since Senka’s absence. You hated him for it.

You’d had nightmares this whole week and your mood was suffering from your lack of sleep. “That damn bastard.” You whispered to your ceiling in a fury. You rolled your head to the side and focused on your bedside table. The room was dark but you were well aware of the presence of the golden marble sitting in the ring dish to your side. You had made it a habit of carrying it with you during the day, it sat like a warm weight in your pockets. It comforted you in a bittersweet way. And in the evenings, you placed it in the ring dish on your side table so it was close. 

The sight of it now, sitting peacefully on your table, enraged you. You’d been fine! You’d been just fine out here with Twain. Your days weren’t exciting, but they were fulfilling and they were safe! And now, now you were fucking miserable and it was all that damn shadow monster’s fault!

In a fit of rage you sat up abruptly, snatched the marble from it’s dish and hurled it across the room. You heard it smack against the far wall with a loud clink and then the clatter of it falling to the floor and rolling to parts unknown. You felt a savage sort of joy at the thought that you’d just rid yourself of the item. Maybe it had broken? _Good._ You thought bitterly. _Good fucking riddance._

You shuffled yourself back down the bed, punched your pillow viciously into shape a few times and then settled back down to try and go back to sleep. Twain watched you silently, having woken at some point during your temper tantrum. He didn’t understand what was wrong, but he knew that you were upset and that upset him. He shifted on your bed and positioned himself so that he could place his head on your hip. He loved you and it hurt him to see you upset. He resolved to stay close to you from now on, you obviously needed him, even if you didn’t think to ask.

XXX

The next morning dawned cold and foggy. You woke from a fitful sleep with crusty eyes and the weight of a large dog on you. You wiped at your eyes blearily and gave Twain a few scratches behind his ear. “What’s up, big guy? Bad dreams?” You asked your dog groggily. He normally didn’t like being touched like this when he was sleeping, you imagined it was because he got too hot. Maybe he hadn’t slept well or wasn’t feeling good and needed some cuddles. Well, you were happy to oblige, you could use some comfort too.

You sat up and hugged his large head close to your chest. “Love you, pup.” You whispered into his thick fur. He gave you a few heavy tail thumps to return the sentiment and you smiled at him. “What would you say to a w-”

You didn’t even need to finish the question. Twain was up and licking your face immediately. You laughed at him and batted away his large muzzle and wet tongue away. “Alright, alright, lemme get dressed, goofball.”

You dressed quickly in your warmest sweater and coat. You normally just let him out to do his business, he hadn’t been on a real morning walk since Senka had been here. You wrinkled your nose at the thought but put it from your mind. You were moving on from that. 

You unlocked your sliding glass door and nodded your head for Twain to proceed you out the door. He trotted happily out into the fog and you followed a step after. You didn’t bother locking the door, no one was out here to bother you anyway. You ignored the hope that maybe Senka would find his way back and be waiting for you when you returned.

You paused on your porch and blinked in surprise at the air around you. Foggy mornings were a pretty normal occurrence around here and while they weren’t something you loved, they definitely weren’t… frightening. This fog was frightening. It lay thick over the ground like a blanket, obscuring and distorting the familiar shapes of your home. You frowned and chewed thoughtfully on your cheek. You should have checked outside before promising Twain a walk. He stood beside you stoically, waiting on you to continue out into the world beyond. 

You sighed and rolled your eyes at yourself. It was fucking fog, not some supernatural occurence. You smiled at Twain and nodded your head towards the steps. He followed your cue and trotted ahead of you slightly down and onto the grass. He shouldn’t have to suffer because your nerves were fried and you were feeling paranoid about some fog. You followed Twain at a sedate pace and the two of you disappeared into the white mist outside your home.

XXX

It was bitter outside and you pulled your coat higher up your neck to try to cover more of your exposed skin. You should have worn a scarf or a hat or something, it was much colder than you had expected. Ahead of you, Twain trotted happily, stopping here and there to sniff something or mark his territory. The fog was thick enough that even though Twain wasn’t too far ahead of you, his form was blurry and difficult to make out. You shivered, it was fucking spooky out here. You turned your head and felt a moment of panic when you realized that you couldn’t make out the outline of your house anymore. There was a faint glow where you could just make out your living room light, but it was dim and could be a trick of the fog for all you knew.

You halted your steps and looked around. You were probably being paranoid, you never did care for fog, but something didn’t feel right. You narrowed your eyes and looked around suspiciously. You could hear Twain snuffling at the wet leaves to your right, but the sound was muted and sounded distant. How far had you two walked? You didn’t have anything to use as a point of reference, but you’d been out here around 15 minutes. 

You made a kissing sound to get Twain’s attention. His pale head seemed to materialize out the swirling mist around you and he trotted to your side patiently. You ran numb fingers through the fur of his head in an attempt to ground yourself. He didn’t seem worried, so there was likely nothing to worry about. You just felt like you were in a Silent Hill game. “Let’s go back in, bud.” You said quietly and turned to head back towards home.

Twain didn’t put up a fuss, he was likely looking forward to his breakfast. He walked ahead of you and you allowed him to lead you back to your house. Behind you, muted sounds drifted to your ears. Likely just some small critter rummaging around the forest floor for its own breakfast. But for some reason, the sound raised the hair on the back of your neck. It was your imagination, surely, but it sounded like boots scuffing along the leaves at your back. You picked up your pace, all the while cursing yourself for your wild imagination.

The dull crunch of a twig snapping caused you to whip your head around to the side. _There’s nothing there, you’re fine. Just chill out, Y/N._ You thought to yourself fiercely. Finally, the dark form of your house seemed to phase itself out of the fog and you breathed a sigh of relief. You ignored the shuffling behind you in favor of picking up your pace. You weren’t quite jogging, but you weren’t walking either. You’d fallen into a strange loping gait that you were sure would look ridiculous to an outside observer.

You hurried up your porch steps and pulled on your door handle with numb fingers. Another dull popping sound behind you had you looking over your shoulder as you hurried Twain inside. Normally, you would take time to wipe his paws off before letting him back in but you couldn’t give less of a shit about wet dog feet right now. Your heart rate had quickened and you were sweating nervously. You didn’t feel safe out here, you needed to get inside and lock the doors. You all but lept inside the door and slammed it closed behind you. The lock snapped in a satisfying way and you let out a shaky breath. You leaned your head back against the cool glass and exhaled slowly. 

“You’re losing it, bitch.” You muttered to yourself.

You took another few moments to collect yourself before peeling the coat from your shoulders. You needed a hot shower to get last night’s nightmares and this morning's walk off of you. Your brain was in overdrive right now and it wasn’t doing your nerves any favors. 

XXX

You sat in front of your keyboard, staring in irritation at the screen. You had your outline, you needed to start working on fleshing out the actual story. But the soft blinking of your cursor highlighted the fact that you hadn’t put anything down yet. You tapped your fingers against the surface of your table in an attempt to release some of your nervous energy. 

Twain lay beside you, sleeping peacefully. He’d been attached to your side for the last few days and while it was comforting, it had you worried that something was wrong with him. Normally, he’d be asleep in his bed, or on YOUR bed, but the fact that he’d forgone those options so he could lay on the floor at your feet had you a little worried.

You glanced out your living room window and out at the dark forest beyond. A pinprick of light seemed to be winking in and out of existence among the trunks of the thick trees. You frowned at it for a moment. Now that you were focusing on it, you’d noticed similar lights the last few nights out there. The forest held a lot of secrets and more mysteries than could be dreamt of, but… this was strange. There wouldn’t be any reason for someone to be hiking out here this late at night and for multiple nights in a row.

A shiver ran down your spine and you narrowed your eyes. Something didn’t feel right. You stood from your seat and made your way to close the curtains over the large window. You walked through the house, locking doors and pulling curtains closed. You couldn’t explain it, but you had a feeling in your gut that something was going to happen. You had a brief thought that it might be him, but you quickly shook it off. It had been years, there was no way he’d have found you now.

You figured you were being paranoid, but better safe than sorry. You cut a thin line along your thumb and pressed the blood to the large white sigil in the middle of your living room to reinforce it. It glowed blue faintly and you quickly put your thumb in your mouth to halt the bleeding. You figured you were overreacting but you’d rather do that than be caught unawares. 

At your side, Twain stiffened suddenly. Well, fuck. He pressed against your leg and you watched as the fur along his shoulders raised slowly. A low growl worked its way out of his throat and you felt fear close like a vice around your chest. Twain couldn’t seem to focus on any one point, instead turning this way and that, growling at all corners of the room. You backed carefully into your kitchen, intent on grabbing a weapon to defend yourself. Twain kept in contact with your legs, backing into the kitchen with you.

You snatched a large kitchen knife and kneeled down so you were at eye level with your dog. You made yourself as small as possible while tucking yourself into a corner of the kitchen and you waited. Other than Twain’s growling, you couldn’t make out any sounds out of the ordinary.

“Is it Senka?” You asked your dog in a shaking whisper. 

Twain didn’t react and you frowned. He wouldn’t react like that to Senka anymore, this was something else. You strained your ears for sound, anything that could give you an idea of just what was going on. After a minute of tense silence, a sharp electric hum seemed to fill the air around you. You felt your heart plummet into your stomach. It had been years since you’d heard that sound, but you wouldn’t ever forget it, it was ingrained in your memory like a terrifying tattoo.

Your eyes started to water, a fear response you couldn’t control. _No, please God, no…_ The noise got steadily louder until with a crack it was silent again. You knew better than to hope it was gone though. You couldn’t even be sure that your heart was still beating at this point. Everything seemed to be suspended in that single moment until…

“Hello, naughty girl.”

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be adding additional tags and warnings for the next chapters so be mindful to read those before proceeding onto the chapter itself!
> 
> <3


	11. Chapter 11

XXX

SENKA POV

XXX

He sighed heavily. He’d lived in the forest, out in the wild, for centuries. It hadn’t ever felt… lonely though. Not that he could remember anyway. But, here he was, lonely and miserable with a hole in his heart in the shape of Y/N. He rubbed a hand over his muzzle and squinted into the trees around him. It had been a week or so since he’d left and he still regretted it. It had been for her safety and he knew that it was selfish of him to want to go back there but… Well, some things couldn’t be helped.

He ducked under a low hanging branch and paused as a pain shot through his head. He lifted a large palm and held it against the space of his missing eye. That had hurt ! He rubbed at the spot to try to ease the ache. That was odd, since he’d given his eye to Y/N he hadn’t felt any real sensations in it, just a vague warmth when it was near her skin. This though, this had been sharp and shooting.

He chewed uneasily at his lip while he thought about the implications of that. Could she have been hurt? There was a strange magic that connected him to his missing piece, he knew that, although he didn’t understand the mechanics of it. In the time that she had had his eye, he hadn’t been able to feel her emotions. So, what would have caused this sharp pain from nowhere?

He hunkered down and picked absently at the torn knee of the sweatpants he was still wearing. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. There was no reason for his eye to give him any pain, unless it was trying to warn him. Was that a thing? Could it do that? He did his best to think about the situation rationally. But, this wasn’t really a rational situation. He had no point of reference for something like this. 

He frowned and pulled a loose thread from his pants. He shouldn’t even be wearing them, but he felt sentimental about them. They’d been the first gift he’d been given in many years and he wasn’t willing to give them up. He thought back to Y/N’s smile and the weight in his chest seemed to solidify. At the same time, so did his fear.

Something wasn’t right. There was no reason for him to have a headache because of his missing eye. At least not one he could think of. The more he thought on it, the more his heart seemed to race. He clenched his hands into fists and hissed at the feeling of his claws biting into his flesh. 

He would just go check on her. He didn’t need to talk to her, she didn’t even need to know he was there. He could keep an eye on her for a time without risking her safety. Surely he could be near to her without breaking down and going to her. He was strong enough for that. 

He hoped.

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a tiny filler chapter since we haven't heard from our boy in a while! Promise I'm working on the longer one and should have it ready by next weekend!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Chapter has references to forced captivity and previous abuse.

XXX

_This isn’t happening. There’s no way this is happening._ You thought to yourself frantically. You hadn’t heard that voice in years, but it had haunted your nightmares for just as long.

“Naughty girl, I know you’re here. Come out and talk to me.” The smooth tones came again.

Your shaking hands gripped into Twain’s fur. You knew it couldn’t feel good, but he let you take whatever comfort you could from him. You didn’t deserve this dog. You couldn’t stay hidden, he wouldn’t just leave because you were being stubborn. You knew him well enough to know that. You swallowed convulsively and closed your eyes tightly. 

You could do this, he wasn’t physically here. This was just a projection. You could talk to him, it had been years. You needed to stand up for yourself. You were strong, you’d survived him once and you swore then you’d never let him do this to you again.

“Y/N! Come out here. Now. You know I don’t like to be kept waiting.” The smooth voice had a razor edge to it now and you felt a few more tears sneak down your cheeks. You were going to have a panic attack, but you needed to hold it together for a little longer. At least until his magic wore out and his projection faded.

You rose slowly, the knife forgotten on the floor at your feet. It wouldn’t do you any good now anyway. With shaking steps, you walked out of your kitchen and into your living room. His back was turned to you and you marveled at how lovely his hair still looked. He was striking, handsome in an ethereal way. And what an absolute cliche that he was as evil as the fucking Devil.

You dug your heels into the ground and clenched your hands into fists. He wasn’t here, you could handle this. You’d heard all his bullshit before, he wasn’t going to trick you again. You ignored the tiny part of you that was screaming for his acceptance. It was a sick and twisted part of your psyche that desperately craved attention, regardless of whether it was good or bad. It was a part of you that looked suspiciously like him. He’d ruined you for years, and it had taken you just as long to be able to function normally again. You weren’t going to do this again.

“What.” You bit out through clenched teeth. You hoped that it sounded angry, but it was more likely that it sounded terrified.

He turned at the sound of your voice and your eyes met for the first time in years. He smiled at you charmingly, the dimples at the corners of his mouth making an appearance. He truly was beautiful, even for an elf. His skin was a flawless porcelain, eyes a warm brown and hair a gentle waterfall of chestnut. You felt disgusted with yourself for still finding him attractive. 

“There’s my girl.” He cooed at you from plush lips. 

You shook at his words and frowned. “What-what do you want, Airdan?”

He pouted at you before crossing his hands behind his back. He was wearing a neatly tailored blue suit that complimented his coloring perfectly. “That’s no way to speak to your fiance, dear. Do you know how long it took me to find you? You hid yourself away quite effectively, you little minx.”

You bit the inside of your cheek in an attempt to ground yourself. You couldn’t have a breakdown in front of him, that would only give him an opportunity to worm himself back into your life. “We aren’t partners.” You managed to say.

Airdan’s calm face twisted for a split second into a fierce scowl, but he recovered smoothly. “Now, now, I know you’re angry with me. But look at everything I’ve done to find you! I’ve had Isaac out in the woods for weeks keeping an eye on you, just to be sure you were safe. You had that… creature in here with you, I was so worried!” He took a few steps closer to you and you were proud to say that you held your ground. But that may be because you were rooted to the spot in fear.

“You know how I feel about pets, dear. I’m willing to forgive that little transgression considering that it’s gone now though. Your dog however… well, we’ll discuss that later.”

Twain was standing at your ankles, keeping in close contact with your legs for support. It was apparent that Airdan couldn’t see him for whatever reason. He detested animals, which was one of the reasons you’d adopted Twain as soon as you’d escaped from him.

“Now, I think you’ve had enough fun out here. It’s time for you to come home.” Airdan continued with a charming smile. Looking at him now, it was plain to see that there was no real life behind his eyes, just a cruel and calculated intelligence. How could you not have noticed it all those years ago? 

“N-No.” You stammered.

Airdan’s face fell from charming gentleman to irritated toddler. “No?” He raised his eyebrows and advanced on you. You knew he couldn’t touch you right now, and the magic that was maintaining his image would fade soon. But you shrank back from him regardless, you couldn’t have stopped yourself even if you’d tried.

“No? Naughty girl, it wasn’t a request. You’re coming home with me and we’re going to get you cleaned up. You look like a slob, you know how much I detest that. You’ve been out here living like a feral animal, it’s going to take months for us to get you retrained.” Airdan’s face pinched in irritation for a moment. “Prepare your things, I will be by to collect you tomorrow.”

His image wavered for a moment before blinking out. He’d apparently finally expended all the magic that he had held. The minute his face disappeared from view, your knees gave out on you violently. You crashed to the floor on your hands and knees and felt tears cascade down your cheeks again. You tried to inhale deeply but you couldn’t seem to manage to get enough air in your lungs.

_It’s a panic attack, you’re okay, just breathe!_ You thought to yourself fiercely. But it didn’t seem to work. The more you tried to calm yourself down, the more violently you shook. You hated it, but you had to just let this one come. And so you did, you surrendered to the tidal wave of emotion that was sweeping through you. You collapsed onto the floor, gasping pitifully and choking on your tears.

You passed out at some point, likely from hyperventilating, which was just as well, because it gave your lungs a chance to actually get the oxygen they needed without your brain’s interference. You came too with your face pressed against the cool wood of your floor and Twain’s hot breath on your cheek. You blinked at him in confusion and grimaced at the gritty feeling around your eyes. You had a headache and your nose was swollen. 

You batted a hand at Twain, who wagged his tail at you happily when he realized you were awake. You slowly lifted yourself to a sitting position and pressed your fingers against your temples. This was so fucking bad. You sniffed and rubbed a palm against your forehead. 

Your brain was working a million miles a minute, and yet you couldn’t seem to grab a hold of any of your thoughts and make sense of them. It was just a jumble of nightmares, memories, and worries. So, that fucking bastard had finally found you. You’d hoped that you were safe here, it had been years, you figured that he’d forgotten about you and moved on. That was ridiculous. Once Airdan had a hold of something, he never let go. You knew that, why hadn’t you planned better?

You sighed unhappily and rubbed a gentle hand over Twain’s muzzle. He’d given you until tomorrow, which meant he was probably coming tonight. He’d said that you would need to collect your things, but there was no way he was going to allow you to bring anything with you. 

He’d mentioned that his guard had seen Senka, but he’d called him a pet. Which likely meant that didn’t have a good view inside of your house. That was good, it would give you a chance to “Home Alone” your house. Airdan couldn’t resist coming to collect you himself, but he would bring Isaac with him, just in case. Airdan wasn’t a large man, but he could still overpower you fairly easily. You couldn’t risk this turning into a fist fight.

You laughed at yourself a little hysterically. A fist fight!? You’d never been in a fight in your entire life, and now was a bad time to start. You’d let him kill you before you went back to his fucking compound though. You pressed your forehead to Twain’s and inhaled deeply. 

Grabbing Twain and leaving in the Jeep would be your preferred option, but if Airdan’s guard had been watching the house, then he would see you leaving. Or more likely, he’d already blown all your tires so you couldn’t even make that attempt. Alternatively, calling the police wouldn’t help much either. Airdan had no problem killing anyone, even cops. And by the time more showed up to investigate, you’d be long gone and locked up somewhere in the compound. No, you had to come up with something else.

XXX

A clatter at your back window drew your attention. It was around 3 in the morning now. You’d been frantically running around your house for the last few hours trying to prepare for your “guests.” It looked like you’d been correct in assuming that they were coming tonight, though you supposed technically it WAS the next day, another of Airdan’s clever loopholes.

You felt a spike of adrenaline course through you. You were exhausted and were only awake right now from sheer force of will. If you made it out of this, you were likely going to sleep for a year. Beside you, Twain looked to you nervously and whined. You shushed him as best you could. The only things you had going for you right now were the home field advantage and the element of surprise. You didn’t relish the thought of killing these people, but if it was coming down to you or them, you were going to pick you everytime. 

You crouched lower beside your bed. You’d done what you could to prepare and honestly you weren’t sure if it would be enough. But you weren’t going to go without a fight. You didn’t want Twain to get hurt, but you weren’t sure what to do with him other than keep him close. If you put him outside, he’d only cry and scratch at the door, making himself a larger target. You frowned. You were terrified and your grip on the kitchen knife in your hand was slick from sweat.

Another soft rustle from the back of the house caught your straining ears. It sounded like they were breaking into your spare bedroom. You’d had a suspicion that they might. There was a nasty surprise waiting for them in there and you smiled grimly to yourself at the thought. It wasn’t long before a sharp yelp echoed from the room. Your smile spread across your face. There was no way that Airdan was going to crawl through a window, it was too undignified. So, that must have been Isaac. You had a cursory knowledge of magic and spellcasting. Not enough to be truly powerful, but enough to cause problems if necessary. You’d laid fire sigils on the floor under the windows around the house. They would ignite once something physical came into contact with them. They were only good for one use but that was good enough for your purposes. Isaac was likely now missing most of a pant leg and dealing with second and third degree burns on his lower leg. If you were lucky it would be both legs, but you didn’t want to hope for too much.

There was some fumbling and thunking while Isaac tried to right himself. He’d been Airdan’s guard for as long as you knew. He was a terrifying man, you were sure he wasn’t human but you didn’t know what his race was. He’d been pleasant to you when you’d first moved to Airdan’s compound and you had been grateful for the friendship. Those warm feelings towards him had disappeared the first time he’d helped Airdan hold you down. 

Your hand on Twain’s fur shook nervously. This was it, you’d been waiting for hours for them to make their appearance. It was show time. It was obvious now that they weren’t going to surprise you unawares and Isaac must have realized that. From somewhere towards your living room, you heard his voice break the silence.

“Y/N!” His voice was gruff and angry. “Come out and let’s go. Airdan has been patient with you long enough.”

You bit your lower lip anxiously. He was pissed, you’d likely burned him more than you’d even hoped. _Good. Fucker._ You thought savagely. You were a gentle soul at heart, and didn’t really enjoy violence. But the idea of hurting both Isaac and Airdan was thrilling to you in a sickening way. 

When you didn’t answer, you could hear Isaac let out a frustrated sigh. It wasn’t likely that he’d brought much of a weapon. Airdan wouldn’t want you harmed too much, at least not until you were back with him. Isaac had a tendency to let things get out of hand, so there was no way he had a gun or even a baton. He was a large man and didn’t NEED those things, but it was nice to know that you had the advantage here. You were fighting for your life, they were just fighting to take your freedom. 

You crept silently towards the door of your room. The lights were off in your house, but that wasn’t an issue for you. You’d lived here long enough that you knew where everything was located. Your knee came into contact with something hard on your floor and you winced in pain. Your questing fingers searched around for a moment before finding the culprit… Senka’s eye. You didn’t have time for this. You batted it away and heard it roll across the floor quietly.

You were crouched down next to your door, the knife held close to your chest and you waited. Were you really going to do this? Your heart was racing and it was making you feel light-headed. Were you really going to kill these men? You could incapacitate them and then run? Hide again somewhere else. You frowned at yourself. No. No, not again. You weren’t going to do this again. You’d made a life here, it wasn’t much of one, but it was yours. You weren’t going to give these bastards another opportunity to subjugate you. You would deal with the consequences later, no more fear.

A thumping footstep down your hall drew your attention. He was coming.

XXX


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Senka will make his reappearance in the next chapter, so just hold on a little longer.
> 
> I want to let you guys know this chapter is pretty intense. So I want to add a trigger warning for blood, graphic depictions of violence, references to past abuse, and threats of self harm. I will add a super short summary in the Chapter Notes at the end if you'd like to skip this one. Be safe and stay spooky.
> 
> No Twain's were hurt in the making of this chapter.

XXX

You frowned and bit your teeth together tightly. You weren’t mentally prepared for this, but it didn’t matter. You didn’t have a choice right now and you’d learned long ago that life didn’t wait for you to be ready to tackle problems. You heard Twain huff at you anxiously and you threw a hand back to him to silence him. He seemed to sense the gravity of the situation and fell silent immediately. You could hear your pulse pounding against your eardrums and felt tears of fear prickle at the corners of your eyes. 

You didn’t want to do this.

It was dark in the house, but your eyes had adjusted enough that you could make out shapes and movement. The toe of a blistered black shoe came into view at the very edge of the threshold to your room. Your eyes widened in panic as Isaac took another step into your room.

“Enough, Y/N! Let’s-” Isaac’s voice was angry and loud, but his command ended abruptly. 

As soon as you’d heard him speak the fear you had snapped inside you like a rubberband. You lunged at him, burying the knife in your hand into the side of his knee. Isaac let out a surprised shriek and you drew back the knife and rolled away from him immediately. It was good that you did, because it only took the man a half second to recover. He swung a large fist down into the position where your head had just been. 

“Bitch!” Isaac spat angrily. 

You grinned to yourself. You’d never seen him lose his temper like this, good. 

“Airdan asked me not to hurt you, but I think he’ll forgive me if you’ve got a few bumps and bruises.” He bit out angrily.

“Try me then, fucker!” You shouted before scooting back from your kneeling position by your bed. Twain was growling louder and more furiously than you’d ever heard. It raised the hair on the back of your neck.

Isaac stumbled toward you and you shoved Twain back further towards the wall and away from him. You couldn’t draw this out for too long. You still had to deal with Airdan and he was going to be a nightmare to confront. No, you needed to end this, quickly. With a roiling in the pit of your stomach, you pulled your arm backward and used all of your strength to plunge it as deeply as you could into Isaac’s belly.

A large hand snapped around your wrist and into a vice like grip. You gasped in pain as the two bones of your forearm ground against each other in the man’s furious hold. He had on a fucking vest! Your knife hadn’t penetrated the kevlar surrounding his torso. You felt your stomach drop as you realized that you were in serious trouble now.

“Got you now, little bitch.” Isaac lifted you upwards by your arm and grinned wickedly in your face. You hung limply in his hold, trying to assess your options at lightspeed. He lifted his other hand and backhanded you sharply across the face. Your neck snapped to the side and your vision blacked out momentarily from the force of the blow. There was a ringing in your ears that was distracting you.

You attempted to focus on Isaac’s grip on your arm but you were feeling dazed. Behind you, a furious bark split the air. A large mass hurtled towards you, knocking you to the side. Isaac screamed and immediately released his hold on your arm. You dropped to the floor in confusion and cradled your arm close to your chest instinctively. It took you a moment to realize that Twain had come to your rescue. 

You could make out his large form in front of you, his powerful jaws were wrapped around Isaac’s leg, and from what you could tell, his teeth were buried deep into the knee that you’d stabbed earlier.

Isaac made an attempt to twist away, but he only managed to trip himself and fall onto his back. Twain was relentless in his hold, and from the sounds Isaac was letting out, the dog was continuing to bite the longer he was there. You watched as Twain’s head shook side to side and you felt nausea creep over you at the blood curdling screams Isaac was releasing. You shook your head to try and regain your senses. 

“Twain! Release!” You shouted. Twain dutifully let go of his prey and moved to stand next to you. You stood unsteadily to your feet and grabbed the knife you’d dropped earlier. You stared dispassionately down at the dark form of Isaac on your floor. He was spitting and cursing but didn’t seem able to regain his feet.

You watched him for a moment, willing yourself to do what needed to be done. This man had assisted Airdan in torturing you, stealing your life and your will from you. He’d beat you when you’d tried to run away. He’d held you down while Airdan took everything from you. He was evil and didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of the world. 

You felt a fury travel from your heart to your limbs. You could deal with the guilt later, you needed to finish this now. Isaac was still looking up at you furiously, calling you names and threatening retribution. He’d fallen in such a way that his head was closer to you than his feet, which worked perfectly for your purposes.

You kicked out at him angrily, feeling your foot connect with his ear. His head rocketed to the side and you felt a grim sort of satisfaction at hearing a crunch. You curled your lip in disgust and knelt down again near his head. He swung at you blindly, but he’d lost so much blood at this point that his aim was off and he missed by a wide margin. You wished that you had a quippy one-liner to throw at him. Something interesting and vindictive to really let him that you’d won. You had nothing in you though, just a cold emptiness where your heart should have been and a lead weight in your stomach.

Your hand shook as you lifted the blade over your head. You watched his face twist in confusion as he realized what was coming. Bastard. You thrust the knife down before you lost your nerve and into the base of his throat. It hit him just above his collarbone and you listened in disgust as he choked suddenly on the object stuffed in his airway. 

You pulled the knife away in trembling fingers and watched as Isaac twitched and gasped for another minute before he stilled. It was dark enough that you couldn’t make out too many details, but you could smell the coppery tang of blood as it poisoned the air around you. 

You gagged at the smell of it around you. You could feel it soaking into the knees of the pants you were wearing and the way it coated your fingers. It was thick and slicked against your fingers smoothly. The weight in your stomach seemed to lift then and you could feel the burning in your throat as nausea settled over you.

You stumbled away from the body with numb fingers and a head swimming in fog. You made it a foot before the contents of your stomach made an appearance. You vomited violently onto the floor of your room. Your eyes watered as you continued to dry heave uncomfortably. The smell of the room and the knowledge of what you’d just done were at the forefront of your mind. You’d just killed a man. You’d taken his life with your own hands and he wasn’t going to be coming back, ever. The buzzing in your ears was likely just a side effect of everything that had just happened, but it reminded you that Airdan was still out there.

You sat back on your ass and breathed shallowly through your mouth. You couldn’t lose it just yet, you’d killed the guard dog, but the master was still out there. You wiped the back of one arm against your mouth to try and clear it of bile. Beside you, Twain nudged you with a wet snout. You were choosing to ignore that it was likely wet because it was covered in blood and not just his usual wet nose. 

You leaned your head to the side and settled it against your dog’s. He let you calm yourself in his presence and you ran a blood-slickened hand through his soft fur. “Thank you.” You whispered to him softly. He’d saved your life just then and you doubted you’d ever be able to repay him. “If I make it out of this, you’ll get steaks every night, Bubs.” He thumped his tail at you once to indicate he’d heard you. You smiled at him, you’d just committed to a promise and you doubted he would let you forget it.

Only one thing in the way of that. _Airdan._

XXX

Airdan was a little more unpredictable than Isaac. He was fussy, and so you doubted he would be crawling through windows or getting into fist fights like Isaac. But… if his goal was to possess you, he would be a wildcard. Especially if he was on his own now, though he may not know that yet. You had the advantage in the house, which was why it wasn’t likely he was going to come in here. 

You wiped your bloody hands on the sides of your pants to try and clear them. Airdan relied much more heavily on magic than he did on brute force. You weren’t all that good at magic, you’d never taken the time to study it much. You placed your hands on the ground to try and leverage yourself back up. Your palm came into contact with a hard object and you pulled it back swiftly. You leaned closer to the ground to try and make out what it was.

It was that fucking marble again. You frowned at it before reaching down to pluck it from the wood of the floor. Your fingers left bloody marks on the eye that Senka had given you. You looked at it for a moment, turning it around in your fingers to examine all sides of it. You smiled bitterly to yourself. It looked like just because your brain was ready to get rid of him, fate wasn’t ready to let you. You sighed to yourself and stuffed the marble into the pocket of your pants. You would deal with it later, your feelings for Senka were complicated right now, but maybe the marble would give you some support that you needed for the task ahead.

You stood uneasily and took stock of your surroundings. Isaac’s body was laid across your floor and you avoided looking at it in case it made you sick again. You could either wait for Airdan to make a move, or you could try to confront him on your terms. You chewed the inside of your lip nervously. If you waited much longer, your nerves would likely fail you. No, you needed to take this into your own hands and deal with it.

You frowned and steeled yourself for what you were about to do. Twain had saved you in here, but you weren’t willing to risk his life with Airdan. You slipped to your french doors and slid out of them swiftly. You locked it behind you, you could worry about breaking back in later. It took Twain a moment to realize what had happened but almost immediately he was scratching frantically at the door. You placed your fingertips against the glass and whispered a silent prayer that he would be safe. 

You moved quickly away from your back porch, tucking the knife into the back of your pants as you went. Where would that weasel be set up? He would need to be close to monitor the situation… Oh, fuck it.

“Airdan!” You shouted into the darkness surrounding you. “Airdan! Where are you?!”

The air around you was silent. Slimy little bastard. You were absolutely terrified and you were shaking like a leaf but you couldn’t deal with the anxiety of just sitting around and waiting. You wanted this over and done with. 

“Airdan!” You frowned and rubbed a hand against your throat. Fuck, you didn’t want to do this. “Airdan! I’m ready to go!”

There was a soft buzz in the air, before a dark shape moved from within the woods in front of you. There wasn’t much moonlight but it was enough for you to see Airdan walking smoothly from the forest beyond. When he was close enough to speak without raising his voice he paused.

“Hello, darling. He said easily. He was dressed as casually as he ever got in a button up shirt and slacks. He frowned at you as he took in your appearance. “Oh dear, was Isaac rough with you? He had specific instructio-”

You took a risk and interrupted him. “I wanted to see you, not Isaac.”

He looked at you in surprise and eyed you up and down. “You always were an eager little minx. Where IS our friend, Isaac?”

You racked your brain quickly for an excuse. “He’s packing up my things for me.” You lied smoothly. 

Airdan cocked his eyebrow at you. “And your… appearance?”

_Fuck! Uhhhh…_ “My… my dog. Isaac said he couldn’t come with us and I didn’t want to leave him to fend for himself.” You were sick at the thought of Twain getting hurt but you needed to keep it together. You were a hair's breadth from having a complete breakdown. You’d never managed to be so stoic in front of Airdan before and you weren’t sure how long it would last.

Airdan was silent for a moment before he chuckled lightly. “You always did have a gentle heart. And that would explain those horrible screams I heard. Well, I’m glad I at least don’t have to deal with that nasty business.” He took a few steps closer and smiled at you coldly. He extended a hand towards you expectantly. A small collar dangled from his fingertips. It was one you were very familiar with and you nearly vomited again at the sight of it.

He’d placed that on you the moment you’d walked into his compound. At the time you’d thought it was romantic in a dark way, now though… No. No, you weren’t putting that back on, ever. 

“Well then darling, let’s be on our way. It’s been too long since you’ve been home.” Airdan said easily. His confidence was going to be his downfall. He simply couldn’t even conceive that you’d be lying to him. You’d been under his will for a long time, and back then, you would never have dreamed of defying him. But, you’d had time away from him now and you’d realized that you were stronger than he’d led you to believe.

You could feel the warmth of the knife as it pressed against your skin and you tried to shake off the last of your nerves. This was it. You were going to do this, you were going to rid yourself of this fucking monster once and for all. You took slow and deliberate steps towards him. You looked at the ground demurely as you walked, he never did like it when you made eye contact with him.

One step, two, three, four. You stopped with about a foot of space between you and his outstretched hand. You swallowed nervously and lowered your head further in obedience. This was it, your one moment. He lowered his arm and moved to step around you so that he could secure the collar around your throat. In the same moment, you pulled the knife from your pants quickly, feeling as it caught the edge of the band and cut it open. Without another thought, you sunk the blade deeply into Airdan’s side

The elf gasped sharply and twisted away from you. He hadn’t had the forethought to wear a kevlar vest like Isaac had. Cocky idiot. You crouched slightly, lowering your center of gravity and watched as Airdan stumbled backwards slightly. He pulled the knife from his side and looked at it in shock. You were furious with yourself for letting go of it. You were without a weapon now and you eyed him warily.

He took a deep breath in and tossed the knife onto the ground. “Y/N! What is- wrong with you!”

The way he was breathing made you smile. You’d likely punctured his lung. If you were lucky, the cavity was filling with blood from the wound. He held a hand tightly to his side but it was easy to see the blood spilling past his fingertips. Maybe you’d been lucky and nicked an artery?

His breathing sounded wet and your smile widened. He would likely choke to death even if you did nothing else to him. As long as he didn’t get away anyway. He was still looking at you in shock and you took another step back from him.

“What- what are you- doing?” He gasped.

“I changed my mind, dear. I think I’d like to stay here after all.” You bit out in disgust.

Airdan opened his mouth and let out his best attempt at a shout. He was calling for Isaac and you rolled your eyes at him. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that you’d deceived him. He was actively bleeding out from a stab wound and he really thought that Isaac was inside packing up your belongings? Idiot. 

“Isaac is dead you fucking moron!” You screamed at him.

He turned wild eyes back onto you as if seeing you for the first time. And maybe he truly WAS seeing you for the first time, not what he thought you were, not what he wanted you to be, but what you’d managed to pull together for yourself. 

He threw a hand out towards you. The fizzle pop of his magic crackled in the air around you. He was incredibly skilled with illusions, projecting his image, but he was capable of a lot of lower level spells as well. You moved to take a step forward when you bumped into an invisible barrier. Ah, so that’s why he’d been doing. 

You stood just out of the barrier’s reach and watched silently as Airdan tried to collect himself. It was apparent that he was still in shock and that he was in an incredible amount of pain but he wasn’t going to go down that easily. He was weighing his options, you could see the calculating look in his eye. He hated losing, and you were the greatest prize he’d ever captured. You wondered whether his self preservation would outweigh his ego. 

Apparently not.

The collar flew at you from wherever it had landed in the grass. It struck you hard across the face and your hand flew to your cheek to cover the spot. 

“Put. It. On.” Airdan gasped loudly. His fury was evident to see on his face and to hear in his voice. 

The collar was wrapping itself around your throat like a snake all of a sudden and you scrambled to rip it away from you. It was a vicious tug-of-war between your physical strength and Airdan’s magical force. 

“Fuck you!” You screamed as you continued to fight against the strip of leather. The buckle clipped you hard against your cheek again in retaliation. You fell to your knees as your vision began to black out around the edges. _No._ No, this wasn’t happening. He wasn’t going to do this again!

You fell forward and your free hand frantically searched in the grass around you for something to help. Your fingers brushed against the knife that Airdan had thrown from his side and you grabbed it hurriedly. 

“Airdan!” You wheezed furiously. The collar loosened its stranglehold for a moment, while Airdan looked around at you in triumph. He had assumed you were giving up, that he’d finally won this fight and would be whisking you away to his compound in the next few minutes. 

He crawled his way closer to you, he was still bleeding profusely and you figured he was moments from passing out. He was within a few feet of you when he realized why you had screamed at him. He hadn’t won, you weren’t giving up. His eyes widened in shock when he realized that you’d grabbed the knife and were holding it tightly against your own throat. 

“What?” He managed to choke out in confusion.

You pressed the knife closer to your skin and felt the bite of it as it cut into you slightly. You looked down at the elf in front of you. Fury, rage, and pity warring for supremacy on your face. You weren’t letting him do this to you again. “My life-” you wheezed. “My life is my own. To live or to take.” You fell forward slightly, resting your weight on a single hand. “I will kill myself before I let you take me again.” 

Airdan’s grip on his magic faltered in the face of this and the collar fell from your neck and into the grass below you. You continued to hold the knife in place, watching Airdan’s reactions carefully. He took a deep breath and collapsed onto the ground. He wasn’t dead, you could still hear him breathing raggedly. It reminded you of when Senka had crashed into your life, his wet breathing the only thing to indicate that he hadn’t died on your floor. 

You finally dropped your hand, the knife falling from your shaking fingertips. Your palm hovered over the marble that was still a warm presence nestled into your pocket. You hadn’t wanted Senka to die though, that was the difference. You crawled your way on hands and knees to where Airdan lay limp in the grass. On your way, you snagged the collar and dragged it along with you.

You sat on your knees, looking down at the man that had ruined your life for so long. He looked up at you, fury still written plainly on his face. “Fuck you.” He whispered. His energy was nearly spent and you were thankful that this had been so anticlimactic. 

You lifted the collar in shaking hands, the expression on your face was cold and lifeless. You weren’t going to enjoy this, but it felt like the right thing to do. You lifted Airdan’s head and began to wrap the collar around his neck. He attempted to fight against you weakly. His hands were easy enough to bat away and when he struggled too much you simply slapped him hard across the face. He reeled silently as you tightened the leather into it’s buckle. You made sure that it was as tight as you could possibly get it, the leather and metal of it cutting into the skin of his throat.

He gasped once, letting the rest of the air in his lungs out. You sat backward on your heels and watched silently as Airdan pawed at his neck helplessly. He was choking to death on the collar you’d put on him. Bastard, tightening that collar had always been a favorite punishment of his. Well, now it was his turn. You watched silently as he lost the strength to reach his throat, as the tremors in his hands faded and the light in his eyes dimmed. 

“That’s yours now, little minx.” You whispered to him brokenly. 

You stared at his lifeless body for what felt like hours. The cold of the night soaked through your clothes and chilled your skin to the bone. And still, you didn’t move. How was it possible to come to terms with something like this? You were free from his hold, finally. You were free from him. But, at what cost? What had you just done to your mind, to your soul?

You fell backwards and onto your back. You gazed up at the starry night above you, heedless to the atrocities that had just occurred below. Tears poured from your eyes and pooled into your ears. You cried silently for a few minutes before hysteria welled up inside of you. You weren’t able to even process all that had happened. It was so dark out, maybe it had all been a dream. What did you do now? How did life move on from this point? How did YOU move on from this point?

You blinked up at the sky and felt emotion rise from your belly and up into your throat. Without thinking much of it, you screamed at the night sky. 

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Airdan and his bodyguard Isaac show up at the house and Maiden has to kill both of them pretty dramatically.

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know your thoughts!


End file.
